Honeymoon Hentai
by TheAlteredDestiniesFan
Summary: Nabiki and Ranma are married at last, and now they and the rest of their merry wedding band get to celebrate a much deserved honeymoon at last...but what are those strange storm clouds shadowing their horizon? Set after A Tale of Two Nabikis between chapter 41 and 42.
1. Chapter 1

DNabikiTHC

Nabiki 1/2

"A Very Scary Thought!"

by

Jim Robert Bader

THE HONEYMOON (HENTAI) CHAPTER!

(Set between the time of Chapter Forty, Episode 106,

"A Tale of Two Nabikis" & Chapter Forty-One, Episode 107)

WARNING: HENTAI ALERT, LEVEL FIVE!

CONTAINS SCENES OF A GRAPHIC AND ADULT

SEXUAL NATURE, DEFINITELY NOT FOR THE IMMATURE

AND NON-PERVERTED, SO IF YOU HAVE RESERVATIONS

ABOUT LENGHTY ORGIASTIC SCENES BETWEEN CONSENTING

FICTIONAL CHARACTERS BETWEEN THE AGES 17-19 HAVING

BOTH HETEROSEXUAL AND BISEXUAL INTERCOURSE WITHIN

THE BOUNDARIES OF A POLYGAMOUS MARRIAGE, READ NO

FURTHER THAN THIS DISCLAIMER...YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED!

Round One!

A wandering fly settled upon a still pool surface, spreading wide its legs to

balance on the slightly rippling water, which it noted in passing was around

thirty-two degrees centigrade. The air was a seasonable thirty-eight degrees,

which was appropriate for this time of early summer, which partially accounted

for the sight that greeted its visual monitors, that of a long and lanky

brunette, roughly one hundred and sixty-three centimeters with auburn brown hair

trimmed in front to a pair of sharp side locks while her hair in the rear had

been bound up in a pig-tailed braid that hung down her back. She was wearing a

very skimpy thong bikini that revealed an excellent figure with a pair of firm

round breasts jutting out from a tightly compacted frame. The rest of her was

equally attractive from the shape of her legs to her lean waist and moderately

wide hips. From her narrow and tapering feet to the tip of her nose she was

every centimeter a great beauty with classic features that, while certainly

Japanese, hinted at a strongly internationalist flavor.

She was presently stretched out upon a reclining chair soaking in the sun's rays

while a pair of stylish sunshades shielded her sensitive eyes, a faintly

sardonic smile gracing her lips as she enjoyed a drowsy moment of complete

relaxation. She was feeling no pain...in fact, her body was practically

singing, a testament to more than the intensive training that had given her a

physique that was lithely compact yet possessing tremendous, barely hinted at

supple strength and fluid power. In all senses of the word she was as close to

a state of utter peace as she had ever felt in her life. This state of near-

bliss was only slightly impacted upon by the sound of a mewing child beseeching

her mother for some much-needed breakfast.

"There now, little one," said a pleasantly feminine voice at her side, higher

pitched and more sing-song than a regular Japanese voice, "Shampoo give you

nourishment, you no have to wait."

Nabiki lowered her sunshades and gazed with half-lidded eyes at the purple

haired wonder sitting beside her near to a glass-topped table with overhanging

sun umbrella. She did not have to look to know that her Amazon wife had bared

one of her substantial breasts to give their daughter a nipple for feeding. The

happy suckling noises that followed brought an even lazier smile to Nabiki's

lips as she savored the sight of mother and child bonding through the tasty

medium of lactation. Lylac was such a well-behaved young girl who hardly ever

made a fuss, the perfect daughter in all respects, that only someone as

sensitively attuned to her needs as her mother could have known that the two-

month old girl was hungry. It was a testament to the degree to which motherhood

suited the Chinese girl that she could manage so well a task that Nabiki herself

would have found fairly exhausting.

And yet still there was a wistfulness to her smile, a forlorn sense of envy that

she could not reasonably expect to go through such an ordeal as now beset her

wife...or her co-wife, Ukyo Kuonji.

That worthy sat a short distance away to Nabiki's other side, her own pregnancy

now fairly advanced to what would be considered the early trimester of any other

woman. Ukyo had only been pregnant for about four months now, said pregnancy

being speeded up by the lingering trace of the magic spell that had been used to

impregnate her. Kuonji often complained of feeling like a beached whale with

the heavy weight that she was now bearing around her midsection, and yet somehow

she seemed even more beautiful with a baby on the way than she had been on the

day when the child was conceived, or at least that was how Nabiki herself tended

to view her former rival-turned co-wife.

At Ukyo's side, as always, was an attentive Perfume, the Amazon girl who had

gotten Ukyo pregnant, also wearing a thong bikini (wearing a heavy dose of sun-

blocker to prevent burning, of course), which showed off a stunning figure and a

pair of substantial breasts that Nabiki could only envy. Perfume had been as

doting to Ukyo as any father should be, constantly reminded by her wife that she

was the cause of her current condition. Nabiki had to smile at that, reasoning

that Perfume was beginning to have regrets about giving into temptation, though

she doubted there would be regrets when the child was delivered in another month

or two. Then little Lylac would have a playmate close to her own age to grow up

at her side, a sister-by-marriage as it were who was also a second-cousin, and

would that not make life interesting around their home in the upcoming

future...especially if Ukyo and Shampoo had more children.

But not Nabiki, she sighed as she thought to herself. That was the major

drawback to her condition, that she could not carry a child to term, not even

for the sake of her own much-beloved (and recently wed) husband, Saotome...

"Hey, what's happening, Guys?"

"Ranma?" Nabiki smiled as she looked up, removing her shades to see Ranma

standing there holding a tray full of tall ice-filled tea glasses.

"That's my name," the cocky boy-make that her HUSBAND-smiled back, offering

the tray in his hand so that she could take one of the five glasses, "You look

pretty hot, Nab-chan...maybe you should calm down before you set the place on

fire."

"Look who's talking," Nabiki said, her eyes traveling down to the constantly-

shifting tattoos on his arm, the result of his intensive training in an

elemental martial arts system. She took a sip from the straw projecting up out

of her glass and said, "Nice...not too sweet, and lightly lemoned...just the way

I like it."

"Anything for the Ladies," Ranma said with his usual boyish charm, turning to

the others to offer them glasses, then taking one for himself before setting the

tray down, pausing as he eyed little Lylac and said, "Sorry about that, Squirt,

but it looks like you've got your own refreshments."

Shampoo gave Ranma an indulgent smile then went back to singing a soft lullaby

to her baby, pausing to sip from her glass every now and then to cool down as it

was a fairly warm day for early summer.

"This place is great," Ukyo said with approval, "You sure know how to pick 'em,

Nab-chan."

"Of course," Nabiki replied, "Would I do anything less for our group Honeymoon?

A luxury yacht cruiser is just the thing to get us out in the open air where we

can be away from the rat-race back home. A couple weeks touring the Pacific and

we'll arrive at Sydney, Australia, where we already have rooms booked in for a

one-week tour...then it's back to the Home Island and a resumption of our normal

routine and duties...the only difference being that we'll be a married group

from hereon out, and that means making a few changes to accommodate our expanded

lifestyle."

"Don't talk to me about expansion," Ukyo grimaced as she glanced down, "I can't

wait until this is all over and I have my kid. It really sucks to be finally

married to you and be unable to do anything about it, Ranchan..."

"I know," Ranma smiled, "And you know I'll be just as happy as you when you're

back to your old self...not that there's anything wrong with the way you are, of

course, don't you agree Perfume-chan?"

"Eh?" the Amazon Enforcer seemed surprised by the question, but she hastily

colored as she said, "Oh...yes...you're beautiful as you are,

Ucchan...especially to me."

"But you're biased," Ukyo smiled, giving the other girl a grin that was entirely

indulgent.

"I'll make a deal with you, Ucchan," Ranma said, "You keep smiling like that,

and once you get back into shape, I'll give you plenty of time and

attention...that is, if Perfume doesn't mind having a little competition."

"Competition...from you, Saotome?" the brown haired Amazon replied with a smile,

"Not likely."

"In the meantime," Ranma said, "I'm wondering if you guys would mind if I borrow

Nabiki for a bit. I promised her a backrub, and it's not the kind you can do

out in the open, if you know what I mean?"

"Well now," Nabiki said with a mild leer, "That's certainly original...for you,

Saotome...I mean..."

"Yeah," Ranma said, "That gets me too sometimes, but I think I'm getting used to

it...wife."

"But I'd hardly want to bail out on Shampoo and the others," Nabiki started to

say, "Unless..."

"GO ALREADY!" Ukyo, Perfume and even Shampoo said in chorus, the latter adding,

sweetly, "You keep Airen busy, Husband, and make sure she keep out of trouble."

"Count on it," Ranma said, "How about it, Tendo...ah...wife...? Do you want to

come along quietly, or do I have to do a Fireman carry to get you to our room?"

"You wouldn't dare!" Nabiki frowned, then paused, "Would you?"

"Nabiki," Ranma smiled as he reached down and took her by the hand, "Ain't you

learned by now never to dare a Saotome?"

"But-waitamin-WHOOOP!" Nabiki cried as she found herself unceremoniously slung

over his shoulder like the proverbial sack of potatoes, and thus found herself

staring down over at his lower backside, "HEY!"

"You have fun together, Airen," Shampoo pleasantly chimed, "No be too rough with

Ranma...Shampoo want turn at bat when you is done warming up."

"Wish I could say the same thing," Ukyo sighed in what sounded like envy, "Gonna

be a while before you can do that to me, Ranchan."

"Consider it a date, Ucchan," Ranma replied, ignoring the sputtered protests of

his wife, who beat futily against his back while her bare legs kicked wildly in

the air, somehow finding that Ranma always seemed to know exactly how to counter

her attempts to dislodge herself from her purchase, "You take care of her for

me, okay, Per-chan?"

"Count on it," Perfume said with a lazy smile, enjoying the sight of the hapless

Nabiki's expression as Ranma turned around and started to carry her off in the

direction of their cabin.

"Let me down, you barbarian!" Nabiki was protesting, "Is this your idea of

carrying me past the threshold?"

"If you like," Ranma said, then winced as Nabiki tried to attack him on a

pressure point, and for that he swatted her pert bottom, eliciting a yelp of

further protest, "Quit that...or am I gonna have to use my love techniques on

you?"

That got Nabiki to immediately subside in her efforts, knowing full well that he

was prepared to carry out on that threat. No one dared to interfere with them

as they took their leave of the sun-and-pool deck and headed down below, but

after a minute of this Nabiki said, "At least carry me in your arms like a

civilized human being, will you?"

"I thought you said I was a barbarian," Ranma reasonably pointed out, but

relented to sling her down into a position where he could use both of his arms

to carry her in front, at which point Nabiki visibly ceased all resistance.

"That's better," she said, "No fair using Senken maneuvers outside of practice."

"All's fair in love and war," Ranma countered, "Or so you keep telling me.

Anyway, it's the middle of the afternoon and it occurred to me that you haven't

been screwed for at least a couple of hours, so it's my duty as your husband to

see that you get what's cumming to you, Wife."

"Promises, promises," Nabiki smiled back as she buried her head against his

shoulder and set back to enjoy her ride, never noticing the way a certain fly

trailed after them at a discrete-but-tactful distance...

"Hey, Beiko?"

"GAH!" Beatrice started, "Alison? Don't ever do that!"

"Do what?' said the redheaded as she stared at her silver-haired roommate, who

had been working at her computer console for the better part of the last two

hours.

"Spy on me when I'm busy spying on someone else, of course," Beatrice replied,

"It's very rude manners."

"Oh yeah?" Alison asked from where she lay back on the floor wearing only a

leotard, doing Lamas exercises while favoring her distended belly, "You mean

like...worse than spying on Nabiki and her partners on their honeymoon using one

of your microbot doohickeys?"

"Yes," Beatrice replied without an ounce of shame, "Exactly."

"Well, don't let me keep you from doing anything that important," Alison scoffed

as she took shallow breaths and pushed against the floor with her shoulders and

bare feet, then relaxed again and repeated her breathing, "I just hope you know

that Nabby's gonna be more than a little upset with you if she should find out."

"Are you kidding?" Beatrice leered as she studied her pregnant girlfriend-slash-

"wife," "Nabiki has all but perfected the art of the covert spying on her

friends and loved ones. It's only **fair** that I get the goods on-AH-I

mean...that I keep an eye on her to see that she manages to stay out of

trouble."

"Right," Alison snorted, "Pull the other one. And by the way...how much longer

am I supposed to keep doing these stupid breathing exercises anyway?"

"Another hour should be sufficient," Beatrice replied, "Keep in mind, Aiko, that

your accelerated pregnancy is nearing the final phase of your third trimester,

and it wouldn't do to be unprepared for when it happens."

"You mean when this bun you put in my oven hatches out?" Alison sighed, "I'm

hungry...I need to eat to stay healthy too, you know..."

"The refrigerator is full of specially prepared and nutritious foods that I've

gone to a lot of trouble to provide you with, Darling," Beatrice assured, "You

won't go hungry, and you can eat to your heart's content..."

"I'm talking about real foods," Alison protested, "Stuff that doesn't taste

so...healthy! Why don't we order out for a change...I'll even pay for it this

time..."

"That's very generous of you," Beatrice replied, "But I'm paying for everything,

Aiko, you're my wife and I have a duty to take care of you...just as soon as I

set to record the fun that's about to happen on the pleasure cruiser, Good Ship

Lollipop."

"What?" Aiko looked up, "You mean they're gonna do it AGAIN?"

"You have to admire their stamina," Beatrice leered as she turned back to the

monitor and added, "You have heard the term 'Fly on a Wall' used to imply the

ultimate in surveillance techniques...well, that's exactly what my latest design

is, the perfect non-intrusive means of keeping an eye on our friends while

the...ahem...celebrate their honeymoon together. It's a fairly harmless way of

making sure that everything turns out all right...""

"Plus you get to play voyeur and make a few quick bucks on the side selling

videos of them making out," Alison duly noted.

"Don't be ridiculous," her lover grinned, "I can make a lot more money by having

Nabiki pay me NOT to distribute this video. It's all a perfectly reasonable

transaction between close business associates like her and me, you see?"

"Riiight," Alison rolled over onto her knees then crawled on all fours to the

side of the silver haired genius, giving up on any pretense of moral superiority

as she said, "All right...so let's see how they're going? This ought to be

something else..."

"They haven't disappointed us yet," Beatrice agreed, already inserting the

writable CD into the slot for her recorder in order to burn out a "Master" copy

for later review and (ahem) future research purposes...

"Alone at last," Ranma said as he kicked the door shut then laid Nabiki out on

their king-sized bed, his auburn haired wife relenting her embrace around his

shoulders, "Now...where did we leave off this morning?"

"I can think of lots of different places," Nabiki replied, smiling like the

proverbial cat (unselfconsciously, that is, as it was dubious that she would

herself appreciate the analogy), "But I'll leave it to you to decide where to

start, Ranchan."

"Oh gee...where to begin? That's a toughie," Ranma leered, "So many places I'd

like to start out at, but why don't I take a page from you and begin at the

bottom to work my way upward?"

"Oho?" Nabiki asked with raised eyebrows as Ranma sank to his knees and lifted

one of her legs and began to run his hands up and down the calve before going to

work on her right foot, giving Nabiki even more cause to raise both eyebrows.

She threw back her head a few seconds later and groaned, "Oooh...the way you do

that...!"

"Nothing to it," Ranma grinned boyishly, "It's just a matter of knowing where

the nerve clusters are at...and making sure they all get stimulated. You think

this is something, Nab-chan? Just watch and observe...and feel free to make any

noises you feel like."

Nabiki proceeded to do just that as she leaned back and allowed herself to be

foot-massaged to a state of heightened sexual arousal. Ranma was not only an

expert at Foot-Shiatsu, he could well have given Shampoo a few lessons! The

fact that he could play with her nerve endings so well and with such artfulness

and enthusiasm only made the treatment that much more delicious, enough so that

when he turned attention to her other foot, Nabiki offered it to him without

complaint or hesitation.

"You like that, huh?" Ranma said with obvious enjoyment for himself in playing

with his newly wed wife with his recently gained insight into the wonders of the

female body, "Well, let's see what you think about this..." and with that he

lifted her left foot to his lips and began to nuzzle her instep, licking around

her ankle and working his way down to her toes, where he could lavish generous

amounts of his time driving Nabiki to utter distraction.

"Ooooooohhhh!" Nabiki squirmed under this barrage to her central nervous system,

"How do you keep DOING that RAN-ma-kun?" her voice wavered and arched with each

surprising new jolt that he gave her.

"Easy," Ranma said between wet slurps, "You make this very tasty."

"So that's why you insisted on CARRY-ing me HERE, eh?" Nabiki gasped as she

writhed uncontrollably under this onslaught, "KAMI-sama...how do you DO THAT?"

"I could give you lessons," Ranma smiled as he transferred his attentions to her

other foot, "Mmmm...clean and tasty...just like the rest of you..."

"What am I TO YOU THEN?" Nabiki gasped, "A blue plate SPECIAL?"

"Well...now that you mention it," he cooed as he brought his tongue up between

her instep and the ball of her right foot, "This sure beats room service..."

"Oh yeah?" Nabiki said, panting as Ranma began to work his way up her leg and

past her ankle, keeping on the trail of nerve endings, "OH MOMMA! What are you

doing-?"

"Isn't it obvious" Ranma said as he began to play with her knee, then down the

inside and around the back of her thigh and continuing onward as muscles began

to vibrate under the play of his lips and fingers.

Nabiki made an inarticulate cry and then gasped as Ranma moved further down her

thigh to the inner flesh just below her pelvis. To her immense disappointment

he skipped over her loins and jumped ahead to the other thigh, working the

inside flesh of her muscular leg with uncanny precision aimed at all her most

sensitive nerve clusters.

Nabiki had to grab at the frame of the bed to steady herself as Ranma reversed

course and came zeroing down for her groin area once again, but once more he

disappointed her by moving around her loins and sliding his body up towards her

bosoms. Ranma then turned his attention to those well-shaped globes of flesh

that were so sensitive on a woman's body, using his hands to fondle and play

with the firm musculature that underlay her young and perky breasts, causing her

nipples to harden long before he brought his mouth into play and selected one

for an intimate suckle.

To Nabiki's immense delight, being suckled by Ranma was every bit as much fun as

when she did this exact same thing with Shampoo...and she absolutely could not

fault him on his techniques nor his methods. In very short order she was

holding his head in place and encouraging him to ravage her with those hungry

lips, lips that clearly savored the taste of her nipples.

It occurred to Nabiki to wonder what had become of her swimsuit, but that little

portion of her mind that paid attention to such details was entirely side-

tracked when Ranma relented in his attack upon her breasts and went down her

belly with his mouth and fingers once more working their sensitive magic. This

time he did not relent as he brought his face down to her groin area, and this

time he did not disappoint her as he brought those lips into play tickling and

teasing the pink slit that unfolded to his slightest urging, giving him clear

assess to seek out and find her elusive clitoris, and-upon discovering this

most sensitive of all nerve clusters-he went to work giving her what for with

a mouth that had found nectar to slake a thirst that was both demanding and all

consuming.

Now Nabiki could not help herself as she allowed herself to be brought over the

edge into the first of what she knew would be a series of intensive orgasms.

Ranma's tongue dug into her sweet honeypot and swirled around inside her,

somehow managing to stimulate every single nerve that he could possibly find,

creating a rhythm and vibration that traveled deeper into her loins and brought

her off with great effect, causing Nabiki to give a cry that would have sounded

like someone were being murdered but for the happy note at the end as the wave

ebbed and the tide flowed backwards. The sound of Ranma's hungry slurping

greeted her ears once they stopped ringing, and the delight she felt at his

greedy hunger did much to arouse her again as she parted her legs wide and

braced her feet on the bed, offering herself to his mouth as he indeed tasted a

first class quality smorgasbord of piping hot Nabiki.

Ranma found the flavor very much to his liking, like honey lemon tasting nectar,

not too sweet, not too tart, rather much like the woman herself whom he had

currently in his mouth, and OH did he love to have her writhing on the bed,

mewing helplessly and thrashing around with complete release and utterly no

attempt to dominate or control the issues. Nabiki was normally the sort of

person who never liked to lose control or be out of command of a situation,

making her an extremely contentious girl who did not give ground easily and

hardly conceded a point without much persuasion. It had taken Ranma long and

hard to figure out how to cope with his bride's overly competitive nature, but

once he had learned the way of taking her off her pedestal and bringing her down

to the level of a desirable woman, he threw himself into the act with all the

ardor and intensity of a religious convert...and so far the results had borne

out his strategy to a wholly undeniable level.

The hardest thing for Nabiki was learning how to let go and even lose some of

her control during their lovemaking...a lesson Ranma had coached her in with

diligent persistence and much blatant appeal to a latent desire by Nabiki to

share herself with a full equal. Since their marriage battle of a month plus

back they had been busy negotiating the new boundaries of their relationship,

and every time they reached a new boundary the two of them would go at it with

renewed determination, resulting in the both of them working up a lot of sweat

and grunting, and eventually winding up humping on the floor like there was no

tomorrow.

On the whole not a bad way of starting out a marriage.

A tongue, however flexible, does not ultimately satisfy a man the way his most

masculine organ could, which was why Ranma decided to switch tactics and go for

all the gusto, having brought Nabiki around to an entirely receptive state of

being. She was wet and well lubricated, and he had a hard-on that could have

broken rocks, so without more preamble than it took to stand up and assume the

position, he had his tool at her opening and was ready to make the plunge, a

fact Nabiki registered with her eyes the moment she sensed him shifting his

tactics.

Ranma pushed his way into her loins, encountering no resistance as the well-

lubricated path accommodated easy access. He was careful not to shove his organ

home or ram it all the way, taking it halfway at the beginning and pausing to

position himself while moving his manhood around to increase internal friction

and gain a better grasp of his position. He judged the viability of his

thrusting angle by reading the expression of his partner, who telegraphed to him

with her eyes her tacit approval, and only then did he force his way even deeper

into her vulva, pushing the head of his manhood in close to all the way and only

just holding back by a matter of centimeters, causing Nabiki to gasp and all but

plead with her eyes that he go the entire distance.

Ranma held himself aloof for as long as he could, but finally he had to go in

and give his audience what she wanted, pulling back at the last instant to

strengthen his position for another thrust, then rammed it home all the way and

causing Nabiki to throw back her head and give her heartfelt grunt of approval.

A few more motions of pulling out and plunging in later, Ranma felt he had his

mark, and so set down to a good old fashioned piston-motion of going in and out

of his bride, plunging in as deep as he could and pulling out again with just a

few hip motions to cause his shaft to gently grind against her inner lining.

The results from Nabiki's side was that she threw her legs around his hips and

encouraged him to go at it with absolute and complete abandon. Coitus alone

could not have elicited this feeling in her, however, it was the way in which he

worked her over with his rod going up against the nerves surrounding the inner

entrance, coupled with an occasional brush of a hand and his fingers against

both her clit and her fanny, which he could squeeze in such a way that only

intensified her delight at her husband's performance.

Her husband...how it was going to take her a while to get used to that concept!

It had been a while in coming, almost an entire year during which the two of

them had been through so many adventures together, not least of which was

Nabiki's own discovery of her marriage and fatherhood with a girl named Shampoo,

a relationship in which Nabiki had learned to explore the masculine aspects of

her cursed form, being the husband in a warm and fulfilling affair that was as

fruitful as any other kind of marriage. To learn to play the role of the wife

to a husband was an entirely new experience, but in no way as strange for her as

learning the terms of a man's role in the bedchambers.

That Ranma was already on the way to making a good start as a husband was a

particularly delightful revelation, and right now her man was making Nabiki feel

every inch like a woman, especially the way he was plugging along with his rod

deep inside her, going where no man had ever gone before and making her love him

for it!

Ranma was himself in a state of blissful paradise, feeling his manhood merge

with the flesh of his newly claimed wife and seeing the ecstasy in her

expression as she responded to his caresses with earnest and heartfelt approval.

Such signs of the effectiveness of his technique emboldened him to try more

daring maneuvers in order to rock his wife's world and tell her in no uncertain

terms of his deep love for her and equally deep admiration. To that end he bent

down at the height of one thrust and squeezed Nabiki's fanny as he lifted her up

to afford more leverage as he brought his face down over hers and planted a kiss

on her lips that was followed by a tongue-thrust. This move was unexpectedly

bold and gave Nabiki a chance to taste her own juices, which were still fresh on

his tongue, but it proved to be a miscalculation as it momentarily forced him to

take his feet off of the floor, thus losing critical bracing, which was exactly

the opening that she had been hoping for all along.

Nabiki was quick to seize the advantage by rolling him over onto the bed and

straddling him, his loins still impaling her as she now assumed the dominant and

controlling position.

"My turn now, Mister," she leered, planting her hands flat upon his chest as she

prepared to summon her power for some good old-fashioned heavy-duty screwing.

Ranma grunted as he realized his tactical error, but still he could not complain

as-the next moment later-he felt Nabiki ply some of her own intensive

training, using her vaginal muscles to tense and draw upon his manhood, causing

him to screw up his own eyes as it felt as though a velvety hand was slowly

massaging him and drawing him ever deeper into her body.

"Surprise?" she leered, "Did you think you were the only one who knew some

bedroom tricks? Don't forget, Shampoo has been doing this with me for months,

and you wouldn't believe the things that girl can do when she gets started."

"Actually," Ranma groaned, "I think I do..." and he meant that, recalling the

first time he and Shampoo had shared a bed together...which-it so happened-

was only a few night ago, and indeed he could see that Shampoo was indeed well

practiced when it came to the art of screwing. He wondered where Nabiki had

practiced, though, as the sort of things that she was doing now did not seem

likely to have been learned by applying them against a mere dildo.

Nabiki threw back her head and sighed with great delight as she savored the

feeling of her man nestled deep inside her. She so much intensely liked being

the one on top, not merely in any dominant sense but for the fact that it

afforded her a greater range of control over the angle of his thrusts, thus

returning to her a sense of being once again in the cat-bird seat. This newer

and more assertive Ranma was certainly a delight to be around, but she liked to

occasionally remind him of just who it was who held the real senior position in

their happy little marriage unit...

All at once she felt Ranma's hands cup her breasts in such a way that it brought

the focus of her attention back to what they were doing, especially when Ranma

began to caress and massage her nerve endings and bring back a groaning sense of

being helpless before his manly prowess.

"Surprise," he leered, "Two can play at this game, Tendo."

Nabiki marveled at his expert touch even as she groaned inwardly, amazed that

Ranma could remain so competitive with what she was doing down below to his

manhood. A normal man would have been putty in her hands (or so she was assured

by Cologne would be the case) but trust her luck that she would fall for the one

guy in Japan who did not do all of his thinking with his dick. Ranma yet

retained the presence of mind to seize advantage of any opening she gave him (in

both physical and literal senses) and do back to her the same sorts of intensely

pleasurable things that he was doing to her nervous system.

Well...if he wanted to escalate things, then she would just have to ratchet

things up a bit and teach him who was boss here. She smiled as she used her

legs to push down against the bed and partially draw herself off of him, then

lowered herself down once more, all the while applying more vaginal pressure.

Ranma had been savoring the sweet delight of fondling Nabiki, growing ever more

secure in his knowledge of the feeling and texture of her beautiful full

breasts, and thus was not prepared for the activity that caused his focus to

shift back to the sensations of his manhood. For a moment Nabiki withdrew from

him a few centimeters, then all at once she fell down atop him once more,

accepting him as if she were sucking him back into his body, and doing this

several times more until he felt as though his manhood were throbbing like a

quivering shaft that met and caressed the most sensitive inner recesses of her

body. He felt ready to explode within her, abandoning all pretense of self

control at that instant, but before he could climax he found that Nabiki did

something different with her loins that choked him off and caused him a moment

of spasming interrupted coitus. The effect did something to shoot sparks up his

spine and into his head, creating an effect altogether strange and yet not

entirely unpleasant, even as she released that pressure and allowed him to

climax, at which point he erupted within her with the force of a geyser!

Nabiki felt the splash of wetness firing off within her and gave a glowing crow

of delight, tossing back her head as she voiced her triumph up to the ceiling.

It was a wonderful sensation knowing that she had gotten Ranma to cum after only

two minutes of being in the dominant position, even though he had been the one

who make her cum first, and several times over before this. She reveled in the

sense of power it gave her, knowing that she could be this desirable to the man

whom she had chosen to make her husband, even though there was a wistful sense

of loss and disappointment, knowing that his seed was wasted within her since

the first splash of cold water would restore her to being Kaneda, and thus

prevent pregnancy from being the reward for his efforts.

Still and all, she could not allow him to come too far down from the ladder of

his erection, and the last thing she had any intention of doing was letting him

grow soft within her. Ranma had once again made her feel like a woman, and such

gallantry deserved to be rewarded. Besides, she still had not had her fill of

riding him, and so she refused to release her custody of his expended man-meat,

once again bringing vaginal control into play to retain his stiffness while

wiggling her hips a bit to restore a sense of moderate friction that was needed

to stimulate his loins into renewed action.

Ranma was still coming down from the strangely vivid heights his mind had

traveled to with his brief experience of coitus interruptus. His mind now

opened to new levels of awareness that he had previously not enjoyed, giving him

a complete sense of his wife's entire nervous structure, even as he sensed her

intention of once more giving him an erection. His delight of her intensified,

even as he opened his eyes and saw Nabiki in terms of the energy matrices and

lines of current that flowed within her body, making her seem momentarily

transparent. This was the body of the woman he loved, a woman who was in every

sense desirable and fulfilling. He decided to use this renewed awareness to his

advantage by bringing his hands down to her hips and none-too-subtly working

them along the surface to caress the muscles there that were within easy access.

"Eh...what?" Nabiki gasped, so intent had she been on stimulating her husband's

rod to its previous ramrod nature that she was taken by surprise when he raised

both of his knees and toppled her forward, bringing her body down over his so

that their faces once again met in a kiss that was tender and surprising. Ranma

thrust his tongue into her mouth even as he rolled on top of her again, careful

to keep her hips raised so that she could not use leverage to resist him. He

was equally delighted to find that Nabiki noted the challenge he had issued and

was thrusting her own tongue back into his mouth, not willing to concede him one

inch in this intensifying battle of their love-play.

Having once again assumed the advantage, Ranma used his new position to provide

the leverage that he needed to rotate his hips so that his manhood could do

battle with her vaginal muscles, an inward wrestling match in which many sparks

were sent flaring into jolts of electricity that shot up both of their spines,

causing Nabiki's feet to curl and uncurl spasmodically while her legs dangled in

the air to either side of her husband, all the time feeling as though his rod

was a giant finger wiggling inside her, touching places that normally could not

be touched through normal thrusting. And-even more surprising throughout all

of this-somehow he was maintaining a kiss that now had the suction of both

their mouths holding them together, their tongues in a wrestling match of their

own in which there was much carousing and exploration, giving her the spine-

tingling sense that she was being double-penetrated at both openings, which

would have brought a smile to her lips if she had in any way wanted to release

her side of the suction...

And-a thousand kilometers away-Alison let loose a whoop and said, "YEAH!

You go girl!"

"Interesting," Beatrice remarked, "Such subtle and unexpected complexity to

their movements. Saotome is being unusually artful for a man, and Nabiki is

attempting to counter his movements even as she surrenders herself to the

delights of their coitus."

"If you mean those two are grinding it up together, I certainly agree with that,

Beiko," Alison felt along the sides of her loose dress as though adjusting her

collar, a gesture that did not go unnoticed by her girlfriend-slash-wife, even

in spite of the intensely distracting sights going on her monitor screen, "I

can't tell if they're making love or grinding up sausages...that boy sure knows

how to mount a girl!"

"Yes," Beatrice said as she not-too-subtly began to ply a hand to her own light

shirt, caressing her bosoms as her other hand sought the lining of her panties,

"He should patent and sell books on his techniques as few men would be able to

equal this performance, and I suspect that it's only just the beginning Aiko..."

"Really?" Aiko said, "Lucky girl..."

"Oh yes," Beatrice leered, now focusing more attention on her own beloved room-

mate who-pregnant or not-was still sensitive to the right sort of caressing,

"Lucky indeed...but I think I know of someone else who is about to get lucky."

"Oh?" the redhead replied, pretending as if she did not know all along what was

in store for her at the hands of her silver-haired companion, already feeling

her own state of arousal responding in kind with more than a mere hint of

internal wetness...

(You Bastard, Saotome) Nabiki thought to herself with great delight and very

little resentment, (taking advantage of me like this...if you think I'm going to

let you get away with this, you've got another think cumming...) she inwardly

smiled as she thought in delight of the ways that she would pay him back for the

sweet ravishing that she was currently receiving.

Ranma had at last ceased French kissing her and had rolled Nabiki part-way on

her side as he maintained his position straddling her, plying his lips instead

against one shoulder even as he began to gyrate his hips to piston his manhood

in and out of her vagina. In this altogether compromising position, Nabiki

could do little more than brace herself for his thrusts as he began to work up

renewed energy with each new assault to her sex as this also gave him greater

leverage for his thrusting, affording her little chance to counter-gyrate her

vaginal muscles.

"I'm gonna make you say Uncle this time, Nabchan," Ranma breathed hoarsely into

her ear even as revving up the intensity of his thrusting.

"You...and what army?" she gasped back, being of utterly no mind to protest as

she felt herself being impaled over and over, helpless to do other than hang on

for the ride as these lateral thrusts were driving her to absolute distraction.

In reality, Ranma was more than a little appreciative that Nabiki was not

fighting back at this juncture as he wanted to savor and enjoy the sweet sense

of power that he currently had over her body. He liked feeling more like her

equal than her subordinate in most situation, but here he was intent on proving

to her that HE was the man and she was (unquestionably) THE WOMAN, a private

gesture of assertion on his part that was a component in his larger campaign of

making certain that Nabiki never again took him in any way for granted. Having

already proved to her that he was a formidable fighter, worthy of respect on the

battlefield, he was intent on asserting his dominance here while spiking his

wife's competitive nature, knowing full well that retribution on her behalf

would somewhere soon be in the offing.

In truth he did not mind losing to her in this sort of an encounter, just as

long as he got his own licks in and made her aware that he was worthy of being

her husband.

Of that Nabiki had no doubts whatsoever. This was the man she had dreamed of

one day taking to bed, and it was such a delight to find that her dreams were

not in vain. Far too many young girls waited until their wedding night to find

out what type of lovers their husbands would be, "saving themselves," as they

would foolishly call it on that mistaken Japanese belief that a girl had to be

virtuous until her wedding night. This often left boys in a confused state of

constant arousal with little real experience by which to refine and measure

their prowess, and as a result they would be far too eager and unsure of what

they were doing when they got to handle a girl. Many a newly made wife was no

doubt disappointed on discovering that the "man of their dreams" only knew how

to pleasure himself and had little real idea of what he needed to do to satisfy

her needs during lovemaking.

Ah, to live back in the Feudal era where a different (pre-McArthur and pre-

Christian) standard for performance was in play, when fathers knew to take their

young sons to houses of the "Willow World" of prostitution, whereupon they would

receive expert instruction from professional concubines who knew their business

and could teach a boy to "stand up and behave" to their satisfaction. Girls

traditionally practiced with other girls in order to learn how to enjoy sex

better, thus insuring that they would not be limp and lifeless "virgins" on

their wedding night (though to the medieval mindset, a girl was only a virgin if

she had yet to make love to a man, a polite bit of fiction that had resulted in

many a happy and productive marriage).

Somehow Ranma had managed to overcome the temptations of the modern world and

remained "unspoiled" in that one most productive area of lovemaking and

pleasure. It was amazing how much of his time and focus he devoted to

satisfying her needs, and how expertly he seemed to read her subtle hints to

know just what to do to bring her the most pleasure. It made Nabiki feel like

the luckiest girl in all of Japan (though she knew full well that Shampoo would

dispute her on that point) and reminded her of her own first time as a man in

bed with a woman (whom he had unknowingly just wed), being somewhat inebriated

yet having an instinctive understanding of what he had to do to make Shampoo cum

like there was no tomorrow. Obviously she had been quite successful on her

first time out (as testified by the fact that Shampoo had insisted on remaining

in their marriage) and it gave her no little measure of pride and pleasure to

think that she could be such an accomplished lover...but now she had to concede

(however grudgingly) that Ranma was far better than herself in that department.

Ranma knew how to make her body sing, and as such she did not mind so much his

brazen attempts to put her into a subordinate and (temporarily) submissive

position.

As someone who felt comfortably aware of her own body, Nabiki had to marvel that

his hands seemed to know just where to go to get her going. She was helpless

putty in his hands so long as he had that damned infernal understanding of how

to work her nervous system, and though it stung her pride to have to admit that

she was effectively at his mercy, she was more than content to bide her time and

wait until opportunity came, at which point she would happily reassert her place

as their dominant sex partner. Ranma knew too well that she would never

entirely submit, and no doubt he was counting on her to give back as good as she

was getting, nor would he be disappointed in that respect as she plotted her

revenge and savored the sweet prospect of her impending triumph.

"Damn!" she gasped as she came once again, the only coherent noise that she had

been able to make for the past several minutes. Ranma held her until the

electricity in her body subsided and the tide began to recede from her shores,

and then she moaned aloud, "You're good..."

"Thanks," he leered as he nuzzled her earlobe, "I had good help."

"Flatterer," she grinned impulsively between gulps of air then gasped, "Where

did you learn to do all this? It's like you've been practicing without me..."

"Just learning some new techniques on the sly," Ranma chuckled at the hint of

jealousy in her voice, "What's the matter, did you think I'd cheat on you in

practice?"

"I don't know," Nabiki mused, "You and Kaoih did seem pretty tight..."

"Hey, she's my sister," Ranma protested, "You don't honestly think I'd do

anything with her, do you? Besides, it was that Ryu guy she was after, and she

never made any secret about the fact that she was probably screwing him on the

sidelines, lucky dog..."

"What was that?" Nabiki asked archly.

"Ah...well..." Ranma said, "Sis...Kaoih-chan is a pretty talented girl...so I

guess she must know stuff that would blow the mind of a clueless type like

Ryu..."

"Now who's sounding jealous?" Nabiki countered.

"Hey, it's like I told you," Ranma reassured, "She's my sister...you don't

honestly believe I'd think about her that way, do you?"

"Hmmm..." Nabiki's mind briefly filled with an image of Kaoih in the middle of a

three-way "sandwich" with Ryu on one and Ranma on the other, her husband sliding

his man-meat in and out of her mouth while Ryu humped her ass like there was no

tomorrow. For some odd reason the thought of this got her very...excited...

"Nope," she said aloud as her mind reversed positions and she pictured Ranma

humping Kaoih's ass while Ryu got the blow-job, "Can't picture it at all, Ranma-

kun. Like you say, she is your sister."

"See?" Ranma said, relieved that she was not pressuring him on the issue since

Ranma had long been VERY MUCH aware of the fact that Kaoih was a beautiful and

desirable girl-even after learning the truth of their relationship together,

"I'd never cheat on you...it wouldn't be safe, let alone healthy! That

is...except maybe with Perfume-chan..."

"AHAH!" Nabiki crowed in triumph, "I thought you two did something behind my

back! Fess up, Mister...just what did that ax-happy Amazon do that turned you

into such an expert on a woman's body?"

"Ah...well..." Ranma hesitated, "She, um...offered herself to me as a kind

of...um...practice dummy on which to practice those...techniques that were

outlined on the scroll the old leach gave me..."

"The Scroll of Love by the Taoist Sage Wang Ho?" Nabiki replied, "The one that

compared a woman's body to the tree of life?"

"Yeah, that one," Ranma blinked, "How did you find out about all that?"

"I...asked Perfume about it nicely," Nabiki said evasively, her mind roving back

to an incident that took place a short time after the conclusion of her

challenge match with Ranma...

FLASHBACK!

"Help!" Perfume protested, "Ucchan...get me down from here!"

"No way, Sugar," Ukyo growled as she critically examined her Amazon wife, who

was presently hanging naked and upside down by her ankles from one of the

support beams of the dojo, bound with ropes that held the Enforcer both

motionless and helpless before the scrutiny of her fellow fiancées of Saotome

Ranma, "You're staying up there until you talk. Now...what did you do with

Ranchan and why is he now such an expert on pleasuring a woman?"

"I just helped him out by giving him a few pointers," Perfume wailed

plaintively, "I didn't screw with him...you've got to believe me!"

"Why should we?" Nabiki asked reasonably, "You have to have done something more

than just give him pointers. When I fought with Ranchan he was able to hit me

in places I can't even describe, and I thought I was going to wet myself for a

while there, and Ranma didn't even bat an eyelash when I flashed my tits his

way! Are you telling us now that you didn't actually screw him?"

"No way!" Perfume insisted, her long brown hair brushing the floor as she

vigorously shook her head in a negatory manner, "I know you've got first rights

at him, Nabiki! Shampoo...you know me...would I screw a guy behind your backs?"

"That all depend," Shampoo said non-committaly, "Is better to talk now, Cousin,

and come clean on what you do with Ranma. Amazons who cheat on co-wives go to

very bad place! Is better to confess, get off of chest and no have to worry

about conscience."

"So, what's it going to be, Per-chan?" Nabiki smiled in a way that set the

Enforcer to some serious sweating, "Are you going to tell us just exactly what

it was you did with Ranchan to make him so confident around girls...or am I

going to have to resort to...this?"

She held up an object in her hand and immediately brought a raising (or rather

lowering) of eyebrows to the sensitive Enforcer, "You wouldn't dare...!"

"Try me," Nabiki smiled, and proceeded to use the feather by teasing and

stimulating one of Perfume's bared nipples.

Perfume gasped at the unexpected contact, her hypersensitive nervous system

reacting to the soft caress as though it were a roughened piece of terrycloth

being plied against her.

"And if you think that's something, try this," Ukyo leered as she held up

another feather and proceeded to ease Perfume's other highly tactile nipple,

causing Perfume to writhe and groan as though she were being stroked with a

lash.

"Hmmm..." Shampoo held up an ostrich feather and said, "Now where do Shampoo

begin? So many places on womans' body that feather make feel nice..."

"I'LL TALK!" Perfume cried out, "I'll tell you anything! Just...stop that,

please!"

The feathers were withdrawn, giving Perfume a moment of respite in which to

heave a sigh of intense relief (not that the feathers were unpleasant, but it

was embarrassing to suffer like that in front of her Airen).

"All right," Nabiki said, "Talk...spill the beans. What did you and Ranchan do

together?"

"I...stripped down naked and told him that he could use me...as a practice

dummy..."

The feathers returned, tickling and teasing Perfume so much that she was reduced

to helpless giggling that lasted all of a few seconds.

"QUIT THAT!" she cried out, "I was telling you the truth!"

"All right then," Ukyo growled, "So...what did you allow Ranma to do to you

anyway?"

"I let him...touch me," Perfume winced slightly, as though expecting a renewed

assault by the feathers.

"Him touch you...how?" Shampoo asked.

"With his hands...just his hands, dammit!" Perfume insisted, only to pause

before adding, "And...well...maybe he did kind of use his fingers..."

"And?" Nabiki asked, keeping the menacing feather at the ready.

"Ah...well..." Perfume tried to swallow, only to find it difficult to do in an

inverted position, "Maybe I also let him...um...well...suckle me...but that's as

far as it went! There was no dick involved, I swear it!"

"You swear it," Ukyo repeated, "You let Ranchan play with you and suck on your

nipples...and that's it? You sure he didn't...?"

"What?" Perfume asked, "You think he went down on me?"

"If know you, Cousin," Shampoo replied, "Then say yes."

"Ah..." Perfume swallowed again, "Well...okay...maybe one time I did...kind of

spread my legs and let him...um...use his mouth...but I swear to you guys, I

didn't let him fuck me!"

"You mean you didn't go in for full coitus?" Nabiki asked.

"No!" Perfume insisted, then shrugged her shoulders, "I didn't have to...I came

enough when he ate me out..."

The feathers were upon her once again, and it was a good several minutes before

Perfume was able to stop laughing.

"So let me see if I have this right," Nabiki said when the feathers were

withdrawn once again, "You allowed Ranma to touch and fondle your body so that

he would have a better sense of a woman's anatomy, and he'd feel less shy about

seeing a woman naked? And then you encouraged him to play with you and got you

off with his tongue..."

"But he didn't screw me with his man-thing!" Perfume insisted, "I insisted we

wouldn't go that far because I knew he wanted to have you that way, not me.

After all, of all of us, you're the one who's the most in need of a good

screwing, Tendo..."

In retrospect Perfume realized that this was not the most tactful thing to say,

given their relative positions, and she was not at all surprised when those

feathers started coming at her in places heretofore never before explored, and

she almost passed out after laughing her head off for the next several minutes,

but at last the feathers relented, leaving her a hysterical gasping wreck,

hanging like a limp piece of meat for the crows to peck after.

"You may be right about that," Nabiki conceded, "And-if true-then I suppose

that I might, MIGHT somehow forgive you. But still I need to understand

something else...such as HOW did Ranma get to know so much about a woman's

pleasure centers that he could overwhelm me with those damned caresses!"

"It was..." Perfume coughed as her hysterical peals of laughter finally

subsided, "...The scroll...the old pervert Master...gave him..."

"What scroll?" Ukyo asked.

"The Scroll of the Tree of Life and Knowledge," Perfume replied, "You know the

old legend about how the first Amazon woman ate of the fruit and gained insight

into the lore of the Universe, Shampoo?"

"Aiyaa!" her fellow Amazon reacted, "Is old legend about how Amazon learn secret

techniques of body and foolishly teach them to husband...you saying forbidden

scroll actually exist?"

"It exists all right," Perfume confirmed, "The old Leach had it and he gave it

to Ranma."

"What is this forbidden scroll stuff?" Ukyo asked, "And what does it have to do

with Ranchan?"

"Plenty," Perfume replied, "The scroll contains a chart that equates the body

with a tree and shows exactly how the nervous system is arranged inside a

woman's body with Ki points illustrated and a lengthy description included on

the effects of each and every one of them. They...can be pretty damned

effective, let me tell you, as you found out for yourself, Nabiki..."

"And you allowed him to practice them on you," Nabiki sagely noted.

"Oh yeah," Perfume averred with a round-eyed memory of what it felt like to be

used as a "practice dummy" by Saotome, "We figured my hypersensitive nervous

system would help him to know when a certain combination of Shiatsu centers

would create the right effect or not...and we worked out the level of intensity

that he'd need to use on somebody as tough and hardened as you, Tendo. You can

judge for yourself how much he learned in that one afternoon practice session."

"Um..." Nabiki coughed, flush with the memories of the sensations Ranma had

instilled in her body, "Yeah...guess maybe I can give the boy a few gold stars

on that..."

"But I don't understand," Ukyo said, "If these techniques can instill pleasure

in a woman's body, then why are they called forbidden techniques?"

"Is because legend say that man who master scroll gain irresistible power over

all womans," Shampoo replied, "Elders judge it no belong in hands of any

man...is too dangerous and give too much power to husbands."

"You mean to say that it was originally an Amazon lost art?" Nabiki asked, "And

Happosai stole it from you guys?"

"Yeah, big surprise that, huh?" Perfume answered, "Originally it was created by

the great Taoist Sage, Wang Ho, who mastered his techniques while plying the

imperial concubines of the Forbidden City. He then presented the scroll to the

Emperor to procure his favor and...well...um...talk his way out of having a date

with the headman's ax. Legend has it that the Emperor went on to father many

sons but eventually died of exhaustion after a night in which he pleasured every

single one of his wives and concubines in one mass marathon orgy session. Wang

Ho is supposed to have gone up against the Amazon sorceress known as Vibrate and

spontaneously combusted shortly after exhausting her, which is how we Amazons

originally learned of the scroll's existence."

"Aiyaa," Shampoo continued, "Legend also go on to say about nine valiant Amazon

warriors chosen by Elders to find scroll, which fall into hand of Prince Pol

Long of Imperial Court, renegade son of Emperor who no become Emperor after

father. Story say each warrior try hand against Pol Long and succumb to his

mastery, all save warrior named Frigid, who hold out long enough to apply Amazon

Glomp of Nookie of Death technique..."

"Nookie of Death Technique?" Ukyo repeated, "You've got to be kidding!"

"Oh no," Perfume replied, "It is very effective. An Amazon will only use the

Nookie Technique on a husband who has gone astray, and it's dangerous to use

because it sometimes winds up damaging the guy and has even been known to rip

off his..."

"I...think I get the picture, thank you," Nabiki replied nervously, then paused

before glancing at Shampoo, "You, um...wouldn't happen to know that one, would

you, Sham-chan?"

"Airen," the Amazon smiled back sweetly, "That would be telling."

As Nabiki unconsciously crossed her legs and swallowed nervously, Ukyo asked,

"Just how powerful are these techniques anyway if you guys call them forbidden?"

"Powerful enough that if Ranma wanted to screw both Keiko and Kodachi, they

wouldn't even put up a fight," Perfume replied, "And that goes double for

Akane."

"That good?" Nabiki arched her eyebrows, then frowned, "And you let Ranma

practice this stuff on you."

"Um...right," Perfume replied nervously, all too aware of her vulnerable

position.

"I guess that means we've got to get that scroll away from Ranma," Ukyo

reasoned.

"Good luck," Perfume replied, "He committed the thing to memory then gave it as

a present to that Ryu guy...said he'd know what to do with it, and I'm pretty

sure by now that Kaoih has a good idea how effective that scroll is..."

"I see," Nabiki said as she reached out a hand and caressed one of Perfume's

breasts, fondling it as she uncomfortably did a size comparison and confirmed

for a fact that both of the Enforcer's breasts were substantially larger than

her own decently well-sized bosoms, "Then maybe you can teach us what you know

about these Shiatsu pressure-centers, and how they work on a woman's body. You

wouldn't mind us practicing them out on you, would you, Per-chan?"

"Um..." Perfume tried swallowing again, "N-N-No...I guess I wouldn't mind...too

much...if it's all right with Ukyo..."

"You already know what I've got to say to that, Sugar," Ukyo leered as she plied

a hand to Perfume's other large and upended bosom, "Just show us what Ranchan

did to you and everything will be all right again."

Perfume gasped at the double fondling, then opened her eyes with dismay as she

felt another hand playing with ropes that currently split the Enforcer's clean-

shaven beaver, and to her dismay she found that it was Shampoo who was toying

with her exposed labia, prompting Perfume to ask, "Cousin?"

"You share technique with Shampoo, yes?"

Perfume gulped, then in a slightly higher pitched voice said, "s-S-Sure...no

problem! Ah...could you guys let me down from here? The blood's rushing to my

head, and I'm starting to lose feeling in my feet..."

"Take her down."

The strongly assertive male voice caused all four fiancées to turn their heads

to stare at the opening of the dojo, in which Ranma stood there staring at them

with mild disapproval in his expression.

"Ranchan?" Nabiki smiled, "What a coincidence, we were just thinking about

you..."

"Yeah, I kinda guessed that," the boy said sardonically, "Let Perfume down

now...she ain't done nothing wrong to deserve this. You guys want to know the

technique? I'll be happy to show you."

"Show us what, Ranchan?" Ukyo asked as she examined him critically.

"Just this," Ranma replied, and like a blur he moved forward, his hands in

motion before even Nabiki could react, and one second later all three girls were

writhing on the floor, their bodies convulsing in spasms of convulsive pleasure,

even Ukyo, who was considerably pregnant.

A slash of his hand severed the ropes binding Perfume, and then Ranma gently

eased the girl into his arms, cradling her there as he asked, "Are you all

right?"

"Oh...oooooohhhh..." Perfume gasped as she felt circulation returning to

formerly constricted parts of her body, "I-I think so...yes..."

"Here, let me get you inside and I'll massage you back to normal," Ranma

replied, turning a slightly disapproving look Nabiki's way, "And I'll be back to

undo what I just did to you guys in another minute or two...just think about

that the next time you want to pick on a poor girl who just happened to want to

do me a favor."

Perfume decided not to argue as she allowed herself to be carried by a man...by

her HUSBAND, she self-corrected...while her fellow fiancées continued to

convulse upon the floor in waves of intense pleasure that left even Shampoo

reeling with ecstasy, wholly unable to help herself as she felt the need to

finger her sex and play with her own bosoms. Nabiki was in much the same state,

while Ukyo curled into a ball and just allowed her body to go through the

motions of a near-orgasm. The three of them had little time to think up

anything clever to say or even to contemplate retribution, but all of them hoped

that Ranma would be returning to them soon to bring them off for real before

they wet themselves from so much helpless writhing...

"You don't play fair, Ranchan," Nabiki accused with a smile, "And you're such a

party pooper..."

"Sorry if I broke up your fun," Ranma replied, "But it was definitely un-cool

what you were doing to poor Perfume-chan."

"You like her, don't you?" Nabiki asked.

"Of course I like her," Ranma chuckled, "I married her, didn't I? Oh yeah...and

I married you too...and Ukyo, and Shampoo..."

"Guess I can't blame you for that, huh?" Nabiki chuckled, "Wanna know a secret?

I wasn't really jealous of you...I was jealous for Perfume. She's such a

Hotie...I've always held back from thinking about her that way because she's

been Ukyo's wife, and I know how sensitive she is with her nervous system, plus

she turns into a...you know..."

"A cat?" Ranma asked, then put his arm around and hugged her as he felt his lady

love shudder, "Hey, no worries there, but you know that Perfume was telling the

truth...she and I hadn't really...well...done this yet..." and he wiggled his

hips to remind her of his manhood, which was still deeply buried in her sex, and

hardening nicely as he thought about Perfume and the great deal of fun that they

had yet to do together.

"Just the same," Nabiki insisted as she tensed the muscles of her vagina once

again to partially constrict his member, "I want to know everything you do about

those pressure techniques...it's no fair you having such an advantage on me, and

I want to know how I can do the same thing back at you, husband."

"Suffer," he chuckled, "You think I want to give it up that easy? You're gonna

have to do some serious negotiations if you wanna learn how to play the game,

Tendo."

"Oh, so that's how it is?" Nabiki leered, "Then I guess I'm just going to have

to raise the stakes a little!"

"Like how?" Ranma asked as he nuzzled his wife's earlobe.

"Like this," she smiled as she braced her legs and rolled out from the

encirclement of his arms, surrendering his manhood temporarily as she got on her

knees then came back at him, straddling him again with the full length of her

supple body.

"Hey!" Ranma protested as she effectively pinned him down to the mattress.

"You're gonna learn first hand what I know about making love, Saotome," Nabiki

leered like a great cat eyeing its prey, "This is something Shampoo taught me a

while back...but first let's get you firmed up a bit so you'll be in full swing

for your part of the frenzy."

With that she slid down the length of his belly and brought her hands around his

partially limp manhood, rubbing the shaft up and down to make it swell once

again before bringing her head into play, putting his "head" up to her lips for

encirclement before she started to take him in part way, bogging up and down

slightly as she slid more and more of his lubricated member into her mouth right

up to and beyond the gateway of her tonsils.

The effect was to cause Ranma's eyes to screw up in his face and then he leaned

back with his shoulder blades digging a trench out of the mattress. He had long

known his wife had an oral fixation, but now he knew beyond question how much

Nabiki loved to always have something in her mouth to play with, and it caused

him to shudder and moan with anticipation, silently granting that this

particular technique was MOST effective in rendering a man as helpless as an

infant...

Ukyo stared in blank-eyed amazement as Shampoo completed her two-hundredth push-

up, rising up and down with her large (and barely constrained) breasts lowering

down to the deck until the nipples touched the smoothly lacquered wood, then up

she rose again, taking a deep breath as she again and again repeated this over.

"Wow," Ukyo marveled, mesmerized by the sight of the Amazon's chest bouncing off

the deck like a pair of twin beach balls.

"Cousin Shampoo certainly is serious about regaining her figure," Perfume noted,

"Guess she doesn't want to be left too far behind with our co-wife and husband."

"Guess I can't blame her for that," Ukyo admitted as she held the baby in her

arms at the mother's request, "Sure feels strange to think of it...all four of

us married to the same guy and sharing him together...including you, Per-chan."

"Ahm...well..." Perfume colored an appropriate shade of crimson.

"To tell you the truth, I never thought you'd ever go along with this," Ukyo

remarked, "I used to think you hated guys..."

"Well...not hate...not exactly," Perfume shrugged, "And I still think most men

are jerks, but...not Ranma...he's...quite the exception."

"I'll bet," Ukyo smirked, "With that head-start you got on the rest of us..."

"Um...well..." Perfume colored once again.

"You never did explain to me exactly HOW FAR you got with Ranchan," Ukyo purred

dangerously, "And I have asked you repeatedly, and nicely..."

"Ah..." Perfume turned her sapphire eyes upon the woman she loved more than her

own life and tried to think up a good explanation...when all of a sudden she

found Shampoo leaning over her with a too-too ingratiating leer.

"Yes, Cousin," the Amazon cooed, "You mind explain to Shampoo how you decide get

even with great-grandmother by helping Ranma train to defeat Shampoo Airen?"

"Ah...well..." the Enforcer winced.

"Guess we're just gonna have to resort to hard methods with you again, Sugar,"

Ukyo purred with a particularly cat-like expression, "And since Ranchan has

forbidden us using the rough-stuff, I asked Sham-chan here if she'd care to

demonstrate some of her Amazon techniques for working out a full

confession...and I've given her full permission to do anything she likes with

you, so you behave and be a good girl with your Cousin."

"Huh?" Perfume blinked at her wife, "You want me to do...wha-ulp?" she asked

as she was hauled to her feet by Shampoo, who took a firm grip of her arm to

insure her cooperation.

"We go back to room and you let Shampoo teach you lesson," Shampoo openly

leered, surprising Perfume as she had heretofore never suspected her adopted

cousin of harboring those types of emotions towards her...but which now seemed

to be plainly written on her features like an unspoken promise.

Ukyo got to her feet with some effort, holding little Lylac in her arm as said,

"Since I'm too heavy to have fun with you in the usual way, I'm gonna sit back

and watch you two play together...and you'd better believe I'm gonna enjoy

this."

"Ah...well..." Perfume said reluctantly, "If that's the way you want it to be,

Airen...awp!"

She staggered along as Shampoo drew her in the direction of their cabin, Ukyo

following as best she was able with a pleasant chuckle and a leer as she said,

"Oh yeah...that's definitely how I want it...Airen..."

"Oho," Beatrice remarked as she saw an icon flashing in the corner of her

monitor screen, then typed in a few commands that caused a smaller framed window

to open up and reveal the sight of Ukyo and Shampoo dragging Perfume off to her

fate, "Good thing I programmed a second bug to keep an eye for possible movement

of that particular party. Looks like fun and games are about to break out with

the rest of the party..."

She suddenly felt Alison's arms go around her from behind as her redheaded wife

cooed into her ear, "Who cares? Let's go to bed together...I'm feeling too

horny to play voyeur anymore."

"Your suggestion is...duly noted," Beatrice replied with a slightly husky voice

as she felt Alison's hands play with her already bared bosoms, "Just let me set

things up to record...a good thing that I installed a second recordable DVD

player..."

"Oh yeah," Alison leered, "I definitely want to watch the fun on that

end...later, okay?"

"Indubitably," Beatrice set the second DVD to record, then got to her feet with

great haste and turned her attentions to the beautiful pregnant girl who was

having her baby. They kissed with loving passion and great ardor while

stumbling off in the direction of their reinforced steel-framed waterbed, upon

which they both collapsed without missing a beat in their efforts at denuding

what was left of the clothing on their bodies and going at it with a gusto that

easily rivaled the activities that they were recording...and all along the fly

on the wall kept busily absorbing vast amounts of data as Ranma and Nabiki

continued their passionate wrestling match, each one seeking to top the other

when it came to degrees of pleasurable excitement...

At the moment Ranma had regained the upper hand, having his wife turned face-

first towards the bedsheets while he used his fingers and lips to stimulate her

into a receptive state of mind, and-once this had been achieved-began to

slip a finger or two up her nether passageway, providing lubrication for her

anus, which took Nabiki somewhat by surprise as she had not expected Ranma of

wanting to go there at this state of their lovemaking frenzy.

"Hey...what are you...OOOH!" Nabiki grunted as she felt three fingers go up into

her hind region and begin to play around, testing this opening to insure that it

was sufficiently lubricated.

"Surely I don't have to tell you that," Ranma chuckled, "You get to do this with

Shampoo often enough that she openly boasts about what a ride she can give

you...well, now it's my turn..."

"To fuck me in the ass?" Nabiki replied, not actually protesting as she

considered the prospect, "Um...well...I guess turnabout's fair play, but...I've

never taken anything up-THERE! HEY-what are you trying to do, fit your whole

hand up there?"

"Just making sure you're wide enough," Ranma smiled before bringing his love-

pole into play and vacating the entrance that had been prepared by his sensitive

fingers.

Nabiki's eyes got round as she felt the tip of his member enter her, and then

she felt him press his ramrod-hard organ deeper into her nether-shaft, poling

her with gentle but inevitable momentum as though he were about to impale her on

his love-spear. Nabiki's expression was one of surprised disbelief as Ranma

began to fill her all the way, and it felt as if more of him was still coming,

while she strained at the bit trying to accommodate an even deeper degree of

full penetration.

"Fantastic," Ranma smiled once he was all the way in, "A perfect fit! You took

that like you've been riding a pole all your life, Tendo, that's my very good

girl..." and he spanked her fanny just to add a special tease to his gesture.

"Yowlp!" Nabiki gasped, then growled over her shoulder, "I take back any apology

I gave earlier...you're still a barbarian, Saotome."

"Maybe so," Ranma leered, "But can any old barbarian do...this...?"

And with that he began to move around and work his member into her opening,

causing Nabiki to grunt and grip the bed sheets as she hung on for dear life.

Ranma had not only filled her to capacity but was grinding his shaft against the

inner wall lining of her rectum, producing even more surprising results than

when he had done the same thing to her vulva, which of course drove Nabiki wild

with the sparks that shot up her spine and all throughout her body. It was, she

realized, indeed much like what happened when she did this with Shampoo, only

this time around she was the one being ridden while Ranma was impaling her and

making her love him for it! The way he pulled slightly out before thrusting in

created the feeling of genuine suction, and before too long Nabiki was writhing

under this treatment as though she were a wild beast of prey being repeatedly

stabbed by his member, almost like a hunter taking down his prey with the intent

of running her through and hauling her to roast over an open fire like a

suckling pig...a mental image that seemed inexplicable and strange to Nabiki

even as she found herself growing increasingly excited.

"Oh, you like that, do you?" Ranma mused as he gave her another affectionate pat

on her fanny, "Well, there's more in store for you before we're done here,

Tendo, and this is only just beginning!"

Nabiki believed him as he said this, all the while wondering what the other

girls would make of seeing the mighty Tendo Nabiki being ass-fucked. Probably

say she had it cumming, she smiled in rueful self-honesty, and most probably she

had, not that she would openly come right out and admit it. Still and all she

could not help imagining the smug look of satisfaction that Shampoo would give

her in seeing the tables turned in such a graphic manner...

That brought to home to roost another question in Nabiki's mind...such as what

exactly Shampoo would do to pass the time while waiting for Ranma to finish up

with Nabiki? She doubted very much that her vivacious wife would just wait

around and pine for her, but what other options would she have to provide

herself with some entertainment? There was just a pregnant Ukyo and her adopted

cousin...so what would Shampoo do for excitement...and did Nabiki honestly want

to know the answer to that question? In a way she seriously doubted that would

be the case...though she was free to speculate with an active imagination...

Not all that far away, imagination was taking hold of Shampoo as she drew

Perfume into her arms and proceeded to undress the other girl with a single

gesture that cast aside her string bikini. Shampoo had already shed hers by

this point, causing her large and fulsome breasts to hang out fully in the open,

so that when the two of them kissed their hardening nipples touched together and

mashed into one another. Ukyo smiled as she sat down on a sofa to admire these

two excellent specimens of feminine pulchritude gently fondle and caress one

another while their mouths hungrily attempted to devour one another and their

tongues pressed ahead in a gentle, writhing insistence of oral penetration.

In truth the idea of making out with Shampoo was not as foreign to Perfume's

mind as she might have imagined. In many respects they were a perfect match for

one another, having identical frames and equally generous "chest-fruit," their

bodies homed to the peak of physical perfection while every element was well

matched from one warrior girl to the other. In a way it was almost like making

out with her own reflection, a not altogether unpleasant concept as Perfume soon

discovered, finding a surprisingly enthusiastic potential partner in Shampoo,

whom she had always before admired in a way that was borderline platonic.

Shampoo was only too happy to get her hands on the other girl, having long

admired Perfume from a distance. Her cousin had always seemed too fragile in

many way for Shampoo to have risked doing this in the past, but lately Perfume

had been "toughened up" to withstand things that normally would have caused her

great agony, and that emboldened Shampoo to be more aggressive than she might

otherwise have been, having hungered too long for the warmth of such delightful

feminine contact that could almost rival Nabiki in terms of blissful womanly

bounty...

For Ukyo it was like gazing on a pair of identical bookends, the color of their

hair and minor differences in their features being the only thing that made one

Amazon stand out from the other. Just watching at them hold and fondle one

another like that was making Ukyo feel altogether...excited! She wondered why

she had never asked them to perform like this before, knowing full well how much

she would love to climb into the middle of such a sandwich and be devoured by

both girls with equal gusto and abandon!

Shampoo made a discovery that she had never realized until that moment, namely

that she had always on some level loved Perfume without necessarily having been

in love with her until this moment. They were childhood playmates and best

friends, after a fashion, but until now they had never been afforded an

opportunity to express this together, but now that they had, neither one was

about to let the opportunity slip away of expressing how much they deeply

appreciated one another's friendship and support. They really did feel good in

one another's arms, as though they had been doing this for years and just needed

a little time to get back into the practice of screwing one another's brains

out!

To say the least, they felt passionately well-committed to this worthy endeavor,

as Ukyo soon discovered to her most delightfully voyeuristic enthusiasm. So,

like a couple of starving wildcats in heat, they got down to the serious

business of fondling, cupping and tonguing one another as they sank to the floor

without so much as a low murmur. Once spread out on the rug Shampoo took the

initiative of sliding her mouth down Perfume's supple body, taking care to

stroke and pleasure each nerve cluster that she could encounter while judging

the effectiveness of her technique by the groans and sighs that she received

from her cousin-turned lover.

Ukyo just sighed as she settled somewhat uncomfortably onto the sofa, having set

the sleepy little Lylac down in her cradle, which rested on a coffee table by

the door, with easy reach. Her own hands were now playing with her sex beneath

her bikini bottoms, a faint groan elicited from her parted lips as she saw

Shampoo all but savage the hypersensitive girl with an artfulness, skill and

cunning that vastly exceeded Ukyo's own modest techniques, proving once and for

all that the purple haired beauty was indeed well-versed in the arts of

pleasure.

For Shampoo this was a moment of exultation, not merely because she was

realizing a private fantasy of many years vintage, but also because it marked

her liberation from the handicaps that motherhood had imposed upon her for the

better part of a year. She loved being a mother and had every intention of

being one again when it came time to give a child to her new husband, Ranma, but

until that time was reached she intended to satisfy her pent-up desires in every

way imaginable, which meant that she would begin with Perfume and work her way

upward from there. Already she was scheming to find a way of carrying their

lovemaking on into the next room where she could even then hear Ranma and Nabiki

at play, then the four of them would go at it hammer and tongs while Ukyo

watched and grew ever more horny.

Of course it was her ultimate aim to one day have Ukyo in the clench as the

notorious "Spatula Girl" had been looking better and better to her of late, and

not just because of the bloom brought about by maternity. There was just

something about Ukyo Kuonji-Saotome that appealed to Shampoo like an open

invitation that read "Fuck me!"

Of course, first thing was first...she had to concentrate on seeing to it that

Perfume was satisfied, and once her cousin was indeed a well-satisfied girl,

then Shampoo could move on to plotting a double Amazon assault upon their

husband and co-wife (who was also a husband in her own right, a fact that

Shampoo had every intention of using to her full advantage.

For Perfume the revelation that Shampoo could not only desire her but mean as

much as she did to the Enforcer was coupled with the realization that Shampoo's

expertise in sex was partially the result of her early romance with their friend

Lotion, a girl whom they both had desired, yet only Shampoo had ever known as a

lover. Shampoo was arguably the most experienced of the four of them when it

came to these sorts of sexual antics, and it showed considerably with the way

she seemed to anticipate with uncanny precision the ways in which she could

induce a state of complete and utter arousal in Perfume, for which sake the

Enforcer had no complaints whatsoever! If anything she was delighted to have

her cousin make love to her in such an intensive manner...it was almost like

being that much closer to Lotion herself, to enjoy the results of such skilled

and arduous training.

That Shampoo lavished much attention on her breasts was certainly not to be

marveled at as Perfume (rather immodestly) was proud of her physique and the way

her body had matured over the seasons. Shampoo herself had a superb build that

was very much worth the exploration, but Perfume decided to bide her time and

allow Shampoo to take the lead at this stage of the game. Of course the

formidable ax-woman had a surprise of her own in store to turn the tables on her

cousin when the appropriate moment should happen to surface.

After all, Perfume had been the model upon which Ranma had practiced his

lovemaking maneuvers, and she remembered vividly and with great detail the ways

in which he had best stimulated her own body to a heightened state of arousal,

and she knew exactly where to attack another woman's nervous system to induce

similar convulsions. She smiled like the lazy cat that she was and licked her

lips in anticipation, looking forward to the moment when she would unleash her

own Senken upon Shampoo and reduce the purple haired girl into a quivering mass

of pulsating love juices, at which point Perfume would feast upon her sex and

drink deep of the nectar of her much-beloved adopted cousin.

Even as she thought this, however, it was Shampoo whose lips had found their way

to her vaginal entrance, and with great skill and dexterity of tongue, finger

and hand she began to prod and stimulate Perfume to a state of excitation, at

which point the Enforcer forgot about all else but savoring the feeling on the

other woman's tongue as Shampoo plunged it deep into her love crevice and

brought it up again to caress the nub of her clitoris...at which point Perfume's

mind went white and she cried out in delight, arching her feet against the floor

for better leverage as she made an offering of her sex to the hungry lips of her

purple haired ravisher.

Ukyo saw Shampoo bring her wife off with a gasp, moved by the heartfelt way in

which Perfume's beautiful face contorted with her orgasm. The sight alone was

enough to bring Ukyo off as her fingers frantically diddled her own sex, and

soon her cries were joining those of Perfume, even as the greedy sounds of

Shampoo slurping up the other girl's juices filled the air like the fragrant

scent of honeydew and nectar.

Little Lylac, half-asleep from the drowsy state that she had fallen into from

the combination of sun and feeding, briefly opened her eyes and wondered what

was making that peculiar noise, and why it reminded her so much of her Aunt

Perfume, who sounded as if she were being slow-tortured...

And-in the room adjacent to this cabin-Ranma paused in the act of plunging

his manhood into Nabiki once again as he turned and said, "That sounded like

Perfume. You think she and Ucchan are back already?"

"I don't know," Nabiki called back from where she was straddling the sheets,

"But if you quit now, I'm going to be very disappointed with you, Ranma-kun."

"Heh," Ranma smiled as he resumed riding her ass, "Far be it from me to

disappoint you, Nabby."

"Nabby?" his newly claimed wife growled, "Oooohhh, you're gonna pay for that

one, Mister..."

"Promises, promises," Ranma grinned, putting even more effort than before into

seeing that his wife was good and properly ass-screwed, knowing full well that

she was going to turn the tables on him once again at any minute...

And-unnoticed by one and all-the fly on the wall smiled the electronic grin

that would have raised the eyebrows of its creator. Sometimes it was good to be

intelligent enough to appreciate your own work, and like its system unit in the

other room, it knew that its job was to preserve for posterity every instant of

this lovemaking spectacle. It might not be intelligent to understand humans,

but it did appreciate the facility of reproductive tools being employed in such

a constructive endeavor.

Of course it had its secondary functions to fulfill, and when it judged the

moment right it would executed the designs of its creator, who only wanted what

was best for a friend, and to that end it would soon release a specially

designed nanobot that it would inject into Nabiki and-if theoretical models

held true-then the fervent desire of its creator's friend would be realizable

at last, or so went the hopes of the teenaged genius, Beatrice Daitokuji...

Continued.

Comments/Criticisms/Ass Chewing Spectacles: shadowmane

FEAR NOT, GENTLE READERS! THIS IS ONLY THE FIRST INSTALLMENT!

That's right, I plan to follow this up and do a few more chapters devoted

entirely to the Hentai adventures of Nabiki and her co-mates, so dread not that

this is the premature ending, for the best is yet to cum, and soon all will be

forth-cumming in the next pussy-pounding installment: "Encounter at Fur-Point,"

or "Any Portal in a Storm!" Be there!

X

If you wish to check out my other works, Please check out my Fanfiction

webpage at: .

All related chapters of this series can be found there along with my

other works.


	2. Chapter 2

preDNabikiTHC2

Nabiki 1/2

"A Very Scary Thought!"

THE HONEYMOON CHAPTER (Part Two)

by Jim Robert Bader

(Inspired by the works of Rumiko Takahashi Others)

HENTAI ALERT: STANDARD DISCLAIMER!  
CONTAINS SCENES OF A GRAPHIC SEXUAL NATURE TAKING PLACE BETWEEN CONSENTING NEAR-ADULTS BETWEEN THE AGES OF 17-19 IN A COMPLETELY FICTIONAL SETTING. IF YOU OR THOSE NEAREST TO YOU HAVE PROBLEMS WITH EXPLICIT LANGUAGE, RUDE DESCRIPTIONS OF VARIOUS BODY PARTS, BISEXUALITY, INCEST,  
ANAL AND ORAL SEX, MATE-SWAPPING AND MILD SCENES OF BONDAGE AND DISCIPLINE,  
TOUGH TITTIES! I'M NOT GETTING PAID TO DO THIS, YOU KNOW, I'M DOING IT AS AN ACT OF VICARIOUS LOVE OF SEXUAL ENTERTAINMENT!  
YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED!

Alison (Eiko) Kent Managi Daitokuji (Try saying that three times fast, I double-  
dare you!) was pleasantly taking advantage of the currently prone state of her roommate-slash-partner-slash-"wife," the redoubtable platinum blonde haired certified (and certifiable) genius, Beatrice (Biko) Kane Daitokuji Managi, by placing her mouth over the naked silver bush of her lady-love and going to town with a ready tongue that stabbed home at "Beiko's" split beaver. Beatrice arched her back and groaned as her "Aiko" ran her tongue up and down the inside pink folds of her labia, finding and uncovering the nub of her clitoris with uncanny skill and great determination, taking time to properly lubricate said clit before stabbing home again and plunging her tongue in deep for some methodical tongue-swirling. She was careful to stroke the edge of her oral digit along the edge of as many nerve clusters as she could find, causing Beatrice to stifle a gasp that promptly turned into a groan of complete and absolute surrender. This emboldened Alison to go even farther as she pressed her whole face into her lover's groin and used her nose to stimulate the clitoris, applying suction with her whole mouth around Beatrice's vulva and gently rubbing the edge up and down the inner lining of the genius's pussy, sending shockwaves of complete and absolute pleasure roiling all through Beatrice's body, causing her to scream loud enough to shake the rafters.

"Like that, huh?" Alison said between thirsty tongue-slurps, "Well, you've got more like it cumming to you, Bitch...you're gonna pay me back in spades for what you did to me Beiko...and I ain't gonna stop now if you beg me!"

"Oh yes...I surrender to you, Aiko," Beatrice gasped, "Do with me as you will...I deserve to be punished...OOOOHHH!"

"You've got that right," Alison chuckled before going down on her again and rendering unto Beatrice such a ravishing that the silver-haired girl could only moan and grip the bedsheets on their steel-reinforced waterbed, cumming in spurts with a climax that caused her mind to burst into electrical sparks like the ennui preceding a super-nova!

At last Alison was rewarded with the nectar that she so desperately craved, the incredibly palatable juicing of her lover's honey-sweet nectar, which for her had the flavor of ambrosia and transported her own mind to someplace just east of the Elysian Fields of Mount Olympus. She greedily devoured every drop of this salty-sweet ejaculation, delighting in the screams, moans, grunts, gasps and pleasurable sighs that escaped the lips of her sweet Beatrice. Such noises were the music of the spheres to her ears as she brought Beatrice off for a second climax that was like the aftershock to the first and further released whatever residual juice the genius still had to offer, rendering her momentarily dry as her stores of cum were temporarily exhausted...and even then Alison would not relent, knowing full well that her lady love owed her far more than a second helping.

"Enough..." Beatrice gasped, "I need to rest, Aiko...I'll give you more if you'll just let me..."

"No way, Bitch," Alison said in mild crudity, "I ain't satisfied yet, and I'm only just getting warmed up in taking my pound of flesh off your silky hide. Don't forget, I still owe you for this bun you put in my oven..."

Beatrice was hardly the type to complain about arousing such intensity in the woman whom she loved more than her life, but it was starting to feel as if Alison wanted to literally suck her all down in one take, and with her body's pleasurable stores of lubrication momentarily wrung dry, the feeling of a tongue down there was starting to have the consistency of sandpaper. She desperately needed a break to get back her second wind and restore the proper resources of her all-too-human body.

Perhaps some observant Kami decided at that moment to take pity upon her, for the door to their apartment rang at just that very moment. Beatrice gasped in relief as Alison lifted her face from her much-abused loins and growled, "Now who the Fuck can that be? Why do people always have to come by while I'm eating my dinner?"

"I don't know..." Beatrice all but sobbed with relief, "I don't recall inviting anyone...could it be a salesman?"

"He'll be a dead salesman if I get my hands on him," Alison growled as she got unsteadily back to her feet and pulled on a long T-shirt that just barely covered her distended abdomen, let alone her exposed crimson loins, which were just barely visible from beneath the lower edge, "You wait right here and don't move a muscle! I'm coming back to finish the job, and if I find out you moved, you're gonna get a spanking."

Despite the threat Beatrice could not help smiling. A spanking was certainly preferable to having her pelvis be ground like a pestle because of Alison's overly enthusiastic affections. Beatrice eyed her pregnant housemate and sighed in the delight of one who found life good, having finally won the affections (albeit with a twinge of resentment) of the great love of her life, and looking forward to any chance she might find to turn the tables back in her flavor. She licked her lips at the thought of ravishing the loins of the powerhouse redhead, knowing full well that to taste Alison was to drink from the manna of the heavens...

Alison was still growling resentfully at having her fun be spoiled (the only real fun she could have in a day, what with a thirty-pound weight-gain and a bowling ball in her tummy that sometimes kicked like a mule) just when she was on the verge of making Beatrice plead for mercy, but to her surprise, once she had all but torn the door open, she found not some unwelcome stranger standing there but rather four of her closest girlfriends from High School (well...technically anyway, one going to a neighboring school, but still a close friend, which was what really mattered), which prompted her to say, "Huh...you guys?"

"Hey," said Keiko Arigami, "What's shaking, girlfriend? Or should I make that...who?"

"Oh my," Kodachi mused, taking in Alison's relative state of underdress, "Did we come at a bad time?"

"That all depends," Alison replied, "Is there a bad time to cum?"

Akane colored a bit at the crude humor in that remark and said, "Sorry if we barged in on you and Beiko...we were hoping to stop by because...well..."

"It was my idea," explained Ryonami somewhat sheepishly, "I...kind of let slip that you and Beiko were going to keep tabs on the whereabouts of Sempai and Ranma on their honeymoon and...well..."

"Let me guess," Alison replied, "They strong-armed you into coming along to confirm this?"

"Well," Keiko grinned, "If it's not any real bother...we could come back another time, if you like."

"If you and Beatrice are involved in something...private and would rather not be crowded..." Kodachi said in tones that were polite and apologetic.

"Don't be silly," Beatrice herself remarked as she came into the room, having just tied a frilly laced bit of lingerie-styled robe around her delightfully lean body, "We could hardly object to a little company, if you are truly concerned about the activities of Nabiki and the rest. By all means cum inside...it's better than cumming on the outside."

Alison turned an annoyed look her way and said, "I thought I told you to stay in bed..."

Beatrice waved the point aside and said, "You can spank me later. What Ryo-chan and I have going on here is purely business, and these others are our friends, who no doubt are inordinately curious as to the present activities of Nabiki and Ranma."

"Well...yes..." Akane reluctantly conceded.

"Follow me," Beatrice urged as she turned and lead the way into the main living quarters of the apartment that she and Alison shared as a domestic "couple." Alison followed after her, eyeing the svelte backside of her "wife" and idly considered making use of a strap-on.

"Nice place," Keiko said politely, smiling as she took in the tell-tale signs of a well lived-in love nest, "Hope the rent's not too steep."

"It's adequate," Kodachi appraised, judging by a far more elevated standard.

"It gives us privacy and serves our basic needs," Beatrice replied, bringing them to a halt before her personal home computer desk, at which point she deactivated the screen-saver and restored the picture quality of a sight that immediately drew the interest of their houseguests.

"Say WHAT?" Akane marveled, seeing a camera-eyed view of a bed that was currently not being occupied, said occupants being backed up to a wall with Nabiki being supported entirely off the ground by a pussy-pounding Ranma."

"Oh MY!" Ryonami's eyes became almost as wide as an Anime character, taking in the way Nabiki's bare feet were waving in the air while Ranma hammered away at her with his manhood pistoning in and out of her sex, Nabiki's back pressed firm against the wall as though she were being nailed there like a wall-hanging.

"Oh my indeed," Kodachi marveled, "I never would have thought Ranma could be so...enthusiastic!"

"You are getting all this, right?" Keiko asked.

"Hmmm," Beatrice turned and took notice of a flashing red icon in one corner of the screen, "I do believe that the disk is almost full. Time to plop in another one...wouldn't want to miss any significant portion of the action, especially as it seems that these two are about to go into extra innings."

"Man, look at them go at it," Alison marveled, "I thought they were doing it hot and heavy before, but that Saotome must be part Energizer Bunny or something..."

"How long have they been at it?" Ryonami asked with an astonished expression.

"Two hours at least," Beatrice replied as she popped out one disk and set another into the recording slot, then held up the completed CD diskette, "This will be the Master Copy, File One. It should provide us many quality copies for eventual distribution. I imagine the sales alone would be brisk for these honeymoon activities of our dearly beloved couple."

"You guys plan on selling these things around town?" Keiko asked, then brightened, "Do you take advanced orders? I want a copy!"

"Make that a double order," Kodachi added with polite enthusiasm.

"Guys!" Akane protested, "I can't believe that you'd violate Oneechan's privacy like this, let alone try to make a buck on it!"

"Does that mean you don't want a copy?" Alison asked with a smirk.

"Um...well..." Akane glanced down at the floor sheepishly, "I suppose...it wouldn't hurt to look..."

"These images are incredible," Ryonami marveled, "Everything that you said they would be...but how are you obtaining them?"

"Through the use of a cleverly designed spy camera that I have just now managed to plant remotely in their room," Beatrice replied, "It took me a while to iron out all of the (ahem) bugs in the system, and transporting the units did pose something of an initial problem until I devised a delivery system that could carry them to yon pleasure vessel, but I think that you will agree that the results more than exceed my fondest projections."

"In other words," Alison mused, "We've got a fly's eye view of these two lovebirds going at it, and neither one has a clue that we're eavesdropping."

"That's great, as far as it goes for Nab-chan and Ranma," Keiko mused, "But what about the rest of their merry crew of co-mates?"

Beatrice smiled and turned to a side-table upon which sat a portable laptop computer, flipping up the lid to reveal a flat-screen and activating this monitor to reveal another scene of carnal activity going in full motion.

"Oh WOW!" even Akane was impressed as they collectively stared at the sight of a brown haired Amazon girl presently locked in a clench with her purple-haired cousin, the one straddling the other while their mouths were buried in their mutual mounds in a classic "69" position, and the sound of hungry lapping, groaning and munching punctuating the air while an ecstatic (and QUITE pregnant) Ukyo sat on a couch and watched, playing her hands over her breasts and loins as she looked to be on the verge of her own profuse orgasm...

Perfume was in heaven and delighting in the sweet, pungent flavor of Shampoo's sex, even as she was delighting from the ingenious ways in which her adopted cousin was ravaging her own tender mound, the both of them munching away with contented bliss as their bodies slowly built up to yet another wave of mutually intense climax. Being at Shampoo's mercy, while having her purple haired lover at her mercy, was the sweetest accomplishment of her life (saving only for having impregnated her Ucchan) and she was not about to surrender a single moment of this delight, knowing full well that they were putting on a good show for her wife, which doubled Perfume's pleasure and made her want to cum and cum in sheer buckets!

Shampoo was delighted to savor the taste of her sex-kittenish cousin, having long dreamed of what Perfume's flavor would be since their days of innocent youth long past. Having Perfume at her mercy was the fulfillment of a faint and vainly hoped for wish that had been borne with the discovery that the young Enforcer was in love with the same woman as Shampoo. Had Lotion not vanished from their lives, it was very likely that Shampoo would have proposed such a sharing relationship...a choice that obviously did not please their great-  
grandmother, and hence their forced separation.

Perfume was a source of surprising delights for Shampoo, who had not herself realized until that moment how much she had intensely longed for any excuse to grow this much closer to her childhood playmate-slash-sparring partner. There had always been a quality about Perfume that had drawn Shampoo to her...a vulnerability, a need to be loved that matched the intensity of Shampoo's own need to be held and cuddled. Now that she finally had an "excuse" to take Perfume into her arms and make love to her, she intended to waste not a single moment of their time together. Their gleeful "69" posture was but the first of many that she hoped to try, and with Perfume this enthusiastic about sharing intimacy, it was very likely that they would soon exhaust the Kama Sutra and not even come close to expending the full measure of their ardor.

Ukyo was simply amazed at herself, being this much turned on by the incredible sight of her wife making out with another woman. There was no sense of jealousy at all, only an incredible contentment that filled her whole being with the delight of the free expression of such mutual pleasures. She understood now how much Perfume's happiness meant to her, even as she was amazed to discover how much the sight of a naked Shampoo was turning her on, as though Ukyo hungered herself to taste the sex of the formidable purple haired girl., understanding in full measure what it was about Shampoo that so much drew the affections of Nabiki.

Both Perfume and Shampoo were incredibly active and vivacious girls of roughly the same age and build, not to mention measurements and hairstyle. The word "gravure," meaning "buxom," definitely applied to the both of them, their breasts being definitely larger and more pendulous than Ukyo's own rather substantial (and growing even bigger, thanks to her pregnancy) cup size, giving one a feast for the eye every time one or both of them appeared in either revealing clothes or just plain went topless altogether. The surprising thing was to discover how firm and well-shaped their breasts were, showing little sag or wear for all that the act of wearing a bra was still a relative novelty to them both, and-given the additional fact that Amazons were not notoriously concerned about their modesty (at least in comparison to the Japanese) this often meant that they could put on a good show for their respective Airen without half trying. It was certainly a delight for Ukyo to feast upon the sight of their "golden globes" of pleasure, having an urge to sample both sets of generous endowments even as she fingered herself to the brink of an orgasm.

Perfume, cleverly enough, have been waiting for just the right moment, and upon hearing the tell-tale sounds signifying Ukyo's nearing the precipice of pleasure, she decided to intensify her assault upon the sex of her cousin in order to bring Shampoo off just ahead of her redoubtable wife's impending climax.

[Now we see who separates the warriors from the girls, Cousin,] she thought to herself sweetly as she began using her hands, along with her tongue, to stimulate Shampoo's pleasure centers and thus insure a quick send off as Shampoo had not been either mentally or physically prepared for such an escalation. The double assault paid off as Shampoo faltered in her tongue-lashing of Perfume and gave a sharp cry of astonishment, having been taken by surprise as she near-  
instantly climaxed into Perfume's mouth.

By now there was little cum juice that Shampoo had left to share with her greedy cousin, but there was enough for Perfume to delight in the splash against her tongue as she gave a final diddle to the formerly bald (but now clean-shaven) pussy of her passionate playmate, then took full advantage of Shampoo's post-  
coital languor to roll her off of Perfume's straddled body so that she could sit upright and go over to where Ukyo was about to climax.

Her wife was surprised when discovered that her fingers were being pushed away from her sex, to be replaced by a pair of sensitive lips that knew just the right way to nuzzle her, and then a tongue went plunging into her hot little opening and Ukyo threw back her head in a gasp as Perfume expertly began to eat her out, causing the chef's body to shudder as she blew her wad into the mouth of her lover. Ukyo's world went totally white as her mind was blasted over the edge into the stratosphere and beyond, reveling in the sheerest delight that Perfume always gave her whenever she did this with her "Airen."

As delighted as she was to be indulging in her favorite meal, however, the enjoyment that they all were giving to others (however unintentionally) was certainly nothing to sneeze at, as attested in a certain Japanese apartment...

"Hooboy!" Keiko averred, "Now this is my idea of some hot and heavy action!"

"No surprise there," Kodachi said in fond amusement, "Still, one has to concede that they are a very...lively sort, these Amazons...wouldn't you agree, Akane-  
chan?"

"Hah?" Akane asked, her eyes literally mesmerized by the sight of the threesome going at it on the laptop.

"Well now," Beatrice mused, "It seems we have a winner with both CDs, but I think our friend, Perfume, has dropped her guard at a propitious moment."

"Yeah, no fooling," Aiko said, "Don't look now, but I think someone's about to jump the kitty..."

Perfume was fully in "Sex-kitten" mode, lapping up her wife's cream when she felt a pair of hands caress her exposed ass cheeks as a voice throatily sighed, "Cousin no forget Shampoo so soon? Leave Shampoo nice place to start out in making Cousin feel happy."

To illustrate her point, Shampoo ran her hand along the pert bottom of her fellow Amazon and softly stroked the nerve centers clustered there, causing Perfume to roll up her eyes and sigh with approval, even leaning back a little as Shampoo caressed her other ass-cheek and sought to affirm a dominant position. When Shampoo then moved her velvety-soft loins up to rub against this well-rounded bottom, it gave Perfume a groan of absolute delight, which she managed to convey through her mouth into Ukyo's loins, causing her pregnant wife to shudder slightly from the vibrations.

"Oh yes," Shampoo sighed kittenishly, "This so very nice. How come we no do this together in China?"

"Because our great-grandmother was a bitch?" Perfume managed to gasp back before planting her mouth so firmly on the loins of her beloved Airen.

"Yes," Shampoo said without losing her smile, "Shampoo think it something like this. So much great-grandmother have to answer for, Aiyaa! Two years no have so much nice joy as could have had with Lotion. Guess we make up for lost time, yes?"

Perfume could only groan in reply to this, her tongue deeply buried into Ukyo's sex, even as Shampoo began mock-humping her from the rear, the caress of her moisture-slick loins painting a trail over the firmness of her cousin's smooth bottom, all the while the both of them yearning for something else that they could share between them, though Perfume had no complaints about being "claimed" this way by her amorous childhood "playmate."

Ukyo watched through barely half-lidded eyes as Shampoo continued to rub her loins against Perfume, her hands placed strategically low to cup Perfume's large breasts and mold them to her liking, while Ukyo could only lean back and spread her legs wide as her wife's head was nearly invisible to her line of vision, the chef's swollen tummy being chiefly in the way so that she could only experience the joy of an Amazon tonguing, while to all appearances it could almost have seemed that it was Shampoo who was riding her loins, the purple haired wonder being so near in their "Perfumed Sandwich" that Ukyo could see the Amazon's large breasts bouncing back and forth with each pelvic thrust and imagine a dick between them that was connecting them in coitus. Much to her astonishment she found the very idea to be enormously exciting!

Perfume was in heaven as she felt her cousin sculpt her bosoms and lightly pinch her nipples as though seeking to induce lactation. The delightfully soft-yet-  
forceful treatment that she was receiving from Shampoo was sending her senses reeling, even as she did her level best to keep up her tongue-lashing of her sweet Ucchan. Still and all, it inspired a hunger in her to want to turn the tables on Shampoo, so at length she left off of bringing Ukyo over the edge of another orgasm, instead liberating her mouth to call back over her shoulder, "Cousin...you do that very well, but are you sure you only want to hump me? Wouldn't you also like to taste some of the sweet nectar Ucchan has to offer? If neither of you minds very much, I would like to share her with you."

"Share spatula-girl?" Shampoo paused in mid-hump, sounding more than mildly intrigued.

"I know you well," Perfume replied, "I know how much you've been feeling attracted to her lately, and that you'd like to explore the wonders of her body."

"Eh?" Ukyo gasped, her eyes snapping wide open.

"Don't let her pregnant state confuse you," Perfume continued, "Any more than when you were yourself in her condition. You are now her wife too, and that means that you have every right to have your way with her, subject only to Ukyo's own dictates..."

"Now wait a minute..." Ukyo hesitantly protested.

"Airen," Perfume sat up so that she could make eye-contact with her dearly beloved, "You don't need to pretend with me. You find my cousin as interesting as I know she finds you. Why not explore that attraction with my permission. You know you both want to."

Ukyo and Shampoo exchanged nervous glances, but there was no denying that there was an attraction at work here, and that it was unmistakably mutual, and with the suggestion made out in the open there was no way that the two of them could gracefully avoid the subject. At last Shampoo smiled, letting go of Perfume's hips as she straightened up and moved to circle around her cousin, even as the Enforcer removed herself from the path of the amorous purple-haired girl, even as Ukyo watched it all with rounded eyes, all but holding her breath to see was the Amazon would do now that she had official sanction.

Perfume smiled as she saw her cousin taking the bait, eagerly anticipating Shampoo providing her with the same opening that Perfume herself had offered but mere moments before this. Now Perfume would have the upper hand on her amorous sparring partner of long ago, and the Enforcer intended to take full advantage of that position...after a suitable time of sitting back and watching the fun, since she really did want to see Shampoo making out with Ukyo, savoring a good show as she watched the purple haired warrior kneel over a wide-eyed chef and plant an affectionate kiss upon her brow, a kiss that traveled down to the lips in long and savory relish...

"That gal is up to something," Keiko murmured, even as she adjusted her tank-top to allow for the heat of her own body's perspiration.

"Oh yes," Kodachi agreed, not even bothering to hide the way her hands were playing with her own anatomy, "You can see by her predatory look that she's looking to take advantage of the situation just as soon as our purple-haired friend gives her the opening."

"Which opening?" Aiko wondered, "There are at least a couple to choose from."

"Somehow I don't think choosing which is going to be a problem for her," Beiko mused as she undid the belt to her negligee while eyeing Aiko in a meaningful manner.

"Looks like it's getting even more intense between those three," Akane as she squirmed uncomfortably where she was sitting, then exchanged looks with the others and said, "What the heck are we waiting for?"

"Good question," Ryonami asked, already unbuttoning her shirt, "Hey...look there! What's Sempai up to this time?"

"Eh?" Keiko shifted the focus of her attention to the other screen, and then she arched a crimson eyebrow, "Oboy...way to go, Tendo..."

Ranma's mind was a bit uncertainly of exactly the point when he had wound up on his back upon the carpet, but with Nabiki pinning him down he was reasonably certain that he would not be getting up again for at least the next few minutes, especially with her straddling his loins as she shifted her weight a bit to find her maximum comfort level with his manhood rising to its maximum within her. He was fairly amazed at the degree of bodily control that she could exercise using just her pelvic and internal muscles to massage his rod and keep him at full erection. Nabiki had him trapped but good, but somehow Ranma found he had little to complain about, relishing the sight of her beautiful breasts and body squirming above him within easy access of his hands and fingers.

"Oooohhh...yessss!" Nabiki sighed, "Now THIS is my idea of riding on top!"

"Happy to oblige you," Ranma grunted, hoping the ride would not be leaving him feeling limp in the saddle.

"Of course you know," Nabiki mused as she wiggled a bit on top of him, "I could get used to doing this very easy...and I'm sure you won't mind me availing myself of your services for this on a regular basis?"

"I think that goes in the fine print of our marriage contract," Ranma gasped a bit as he felt Nabiki doing something VERY interesting with her internal muscles.

"Yes, it does, doesn't it?" his wife leered in an entirely too pleasant manner, "This is good, in fact...why is it we've never done this before?"

"Because we were never married before?" Ranma offered.

"Details, details," Nabiki sighed as she threw back her head and groaned with relish, "Oh yes...this is definitely worth getting used to!"

"Glad you approve," Ranma said as he ran his hands up and down her hips, feeling for some special nerve endings, only to get his hands slapped as Nabiki read his intentions and decided to head him off before he really got started.

"None of that...at least not yet, Mister," Nabiki chided with a gentle chuckle, "You are way too talented with those hands for me to let you regain the advantage...which reminds me...you still have yet to show me how you do that."

"The Love Senken?" Ranma smiled, "If I told you that, it wouldn't be a secret."

Nabiki increased the suction grip of her inner vaginal lining and rose up a fraction over his rod, causing Ranma to gasp and almost go cross-eyed.

"Really?" she purred in a suggestive manner.

"Ah...well..." Ranma winced, "I guess...maybe I could share a little..."

"You had better," Nabiki chuckled, "Love Senken indeed. Are you implying that my body is like a house that you make love to, Ranma-chan?"

"I'd say..." he grunted, "That you're definitely a dwelling place that I'd like to inhabit."

"Why, that sounds positively poetic, Ranma-kun," Nabiki leered, "You've been taking lessons from Kuno."

"Ah...more like...I was inspired," Ranma said, marveling at the realization that a part of him was inside of Nabiki, and that she was perched atop his organ and holding him standing to attention as if she were the socket and he was the plug with the two of them forming a neat fit together.

"So, I'm inspirational, am I?" Nabiki's smile intensified, obviously pleased at the compliment.

"You sure are to me," Ranma assured, "You're the best thing that ever happened to me, Nabiki...and I want you to always know that, how incredibly lucky I am to have a girl like you for a wife."

Nabiki's smile was all the more radiant, and her eyes sparkled with open affection, as she gazed down at him and said, "I'm the one who should be saying that about you, Ranma-kun. You're a heck of a guy, and I feel as if I was meant to screw your brains out, like I was born for the privilege, or something of that nature."

"Guess that means that we're a real pair, huh?" he asked.

"Yes, but a pair of what?" she answered, only to wince as she felt a sharp prick against her fanny, "OW! What was that?"

"What was what?" Ranma asked.

Nabiki paused a moment on top of his "spike" to feel along the edge of her fanny, then her fingers encountered a tiny needle-like projection, and with the tips of her fingernails she managed to extract a sliver-like object roughly two millimeters in length, which same she held up to eye-level for a moment before a frown creased her lovely features.

"What's wrong?" Ranma asked.

"Oooh, nothing," Nabiki growled as she turned her head to scan the area around them, her focus riveting upon a small fly-shaped object nestled in one corner directly behind her. Without warning her hand became a blur and a bolt of Chi-  
force struck that area of the wall and scorched it, then she continued her growl with a soft, "But I know a certain silver-haired smarty-pants who'd better watch herself when we get back home to Nerima..."

Ranma smiled to himself and took advantage of his wife's distraction, rolling her over onto her back as she gave a startled yelp, surprised to find him seizing the initiative once again as her bare legs dangled in the air with her lower body turned slightly upward.

"Surely you don't think that I'm gonna let you up that easy?" he leered into her face, which was only inches away from his own, "Now it's my turn to show you what I can really do when I get started!"

"But...Ranma?" Nabiki asked, realizing that he did not want to lose the mood for their lovemaking, in spite of any distractions that might come up, and since he still had his "stake" impaling her loins, she was obligated to go along with whatever he had in mind...at least for the present...

Several seconds before this, the tiny robotic fly had deduced that the moment was right and Nabiki's guard had been sufficiently lowered for it to complete the second objective of its mission. Observing and recording data for its mistress might be its primary task, but it was also charged by its programming to make a detailed medical analysis in order to determine the viability of an implantation. Having satisfied its criteria, it aligned up a very tiny needle-  
gun that was contained in its maw, selecting by heat radiance the likeliest point of entry, then firing off a sliver-shaped "bullet" with just enough force to insure that it would penetrate the skin of the target and create a successful route of entrance. It aim was mechanically flawless and the sliver hit a major artery, guaranteeing that the release of the Nanoprobe would be effected without error. The fly hummed a mildly satisfied report of its mission success and prepared to resume recording when it saw the target wince, then turn around and stare in its direction.

Uh oh.

One second later it registered a massive energy discharge headed in its direction, and before it could think to detach itself from the wall and seek evasive action it was struck by a bolt of Chi, which instantly fried most of its major components.

OUCH.

Fortunately for its design, it contained some emergency repair Nanites, which same it released from a protected casing so that they could go to work fixing up the damage. It would take approximately half an hour or so before repairs would be completed, the duration of that time being that it would be off-line and unable to report its findings. That being noted, it registered that the other emergency protocols would likely be effected, then shut down all non-essential functions to allow its central processor to be accessed by the Nanites, knowing full well that it would soon have back-up in the form of the tertiary spy unit...

Sure enough, located elsewhere on the ship, the miniature rocket that had been used to transport the spy-bots to this location began to hum slightly as it released into the air another fly-shaped spy-bot. This newly released "back-up" mini-droid set about to locate the first unit, and then plotted a course along its internal schematic overlay of the ship to determine how best to arrive there, then began flapping its tiny wings and headed off in the direction of that cabin, choosing to locate the air-filtration and ventilation systems as the likeliest way of effecting a soft entry...

A "soft entry" was just the sort of thing its Mistress was attempting to effect when it heard the tell-tale beep coming from the monitor, informing Beatrice of the fact that her probe number one unit had been unfortunately damaged.

"What was that?" Alison asked as she sensed her wife's pausing in the act of reaming her loins with that talented tongue of hers.

"Oh...nothing much," Beatrice winced, "Just trouble in the offing. Not to worry, though, for I have taken certain...precautions for just such a contingency."

"Yeah, whatever," Alison frowned, "Just don't stop what you're doing or there really will be trouble in the offing, you got me?"

"Loud and clear," Beatrice smiled, and resumed her tongue-lashing, much to her wife's heartfelt and enthusiastic approval.

Keiko smiled as she saw the other redhead in the room waving her bare legs in the air as the silver-haired genius performed expert cunnalingus on the pregnant powerhouse, keeping Alison happily occupied while the rest of their group was in the midst of a full-scale orgy. Keiko was herself presently plying her fingers to the loins of a prone and expectant Akane, upon whose face a most enthusiastic Kodachi was currently poised, the sounds of Akane's tongue hard at work mingling with the darker haired gymnast's soft moans of encouragement and approval. Meanwhile Keiko felt the arms that were wrapped around her from behind and the hands that were gripping her breasts, which belonged to a very much-aroused Ryonami. The younger girl was playing with the Kickboxer's nipples even as her mouth nuzzled Keiko's neckline, giving the redhead a positive shiver of delight, for what Ryonami lacked in experience she more than made up for with intuitive enthusiasm.

Keiko had long suspected that the brown haired girl had been hiding just these sorts of tendencies behind her "nice girl" façade, and no doubt the sight of her much-beloved Sempai going at it with Ranma had set off those hidden urges in a way that somehow made Keiko the object of her focus...not that the Kickboxer was of a mind to make any protests. It felt very nice to be held this way by a relative virgin, and it reminded her of how much Nabiki had been neglecting them both in her single-minded pursuit of Saotome Ranma. What better way to "commiserate" than to screw each other blind to any lingering regrets or sorrows?

Besides...Ryonami was such a hotie, and Keiko had long wondered what it would be like to screw her! First thing was first, however...she had three fingers already buried in Akane's snatch, and it would be rude beyond imagining for Keiko to relent just now when she had the darker haired girl at the point of blissful surrender...

She set about to devote her attention to both girls in their turn, eventually intending to leave Akane to Kodachi's tender mercies while she slaked her lust on a dish of steaming hot Ryonami. Even as she set about to accomplish this, she saw out of the corner of her eye that one monitor screen was currently showing static, while on the other screen the trilogy of Ukyo, Perfume and Shampoo were still going at it with considerable energy, bringing a smile to the redhead's lips as she silently complimented the Enforcer for once again gaining the advantage over her purple-haired "playmate..."

Shampoo's groan was like music to the ears of the amorous Perfume, who was now positioned behind her in the same manner in which Shampoo had been positioned to her cousin only minutes earlier. The prime difference, however, was that Perfume had no intentions of surrendering her position as she lightly ground her pelvis up against Shampoo's moistened ass-cheeks, being sure to rub one thigh between the legs of her purple-haired companion so as to insure that Shampoo had the pure bliss of mutual satisfaction. At the same time Perfume roved her hands over sensitive nerve clusters, thereby intensifying the level of Shampoo's enjoyment and arousal.

And all the while Shampoo kept her mouth firmly clamped over Ukyo's loins, lapping up the juices of a very happy and well-contented chef. From the way Shampoo was reaming it up, you would have thought that she and Ukyo had been lovers for some time now when in fact this was (to the best of Perfume's knowing) their first time ever together. For certain Ukyo had no complaints as-  
-pregnancy or not-she was certainly enjoying being so near to the center of attention with a double-Amazon treat just revving up with the desire to screw her crazy.

"Now this is what I call an Amazon sandwich," Perfume exulted, working her hands over Shampoo's pleasurable centers, "You like this, Cousin?"

The only response she got from the purple haired girl was a heartfelt groan of approval and the rubbing of her bottom against Perfume's pelvis to encourage her to continue with what she was doing.

"Airen," Perfume said to a writhing Ukyo, "I make a present of her to you...do you like?"

"Oh yeah, Sugar," Ukyo gasped between grunts that sounded as though she were on the verge of another orgasm, "I like her a lot...just keep up whatever it is you're doing...ooooohhh...that's so nice...!"

The kittenish grin Perfume sported was ample testament to her anticipation as she prepared to use her knowledge of the Kamasenken to further enhance the pleasure of both her cousin and her wife (or should that be...her WIVES, the thought with wry amusement) using every skill in her repertoire, the same skills that she had helped Ranma to develop for his match against Nabiki, skills that could allow any man or woman to pleasure another woman to the heights of unimaginable ecstasy...or any man, she thought with an added smile, recalling well that the chart which they had used had been aimed at giving a man as much joy as he could give to any woman.

Ranma, she thought with a fleeting hint of amusement, had used Perfume's own body as a diagram to develop this particular Senken, and he had shared that knowledge with her...but what their wives did not yet know was that Perfume had tried some of those same techniques on him to insure their effectiveness. She had deliberately held back from full consummation, though, having known better than to stray into areas that were rightfully reserved for Nabiki. Just how far she did get was something she preferred to keep a secret...at least for the present...but for now...

For now she had a cousin to fuck and a wife to make happy, and what a wonderful thing that in doing one she could achieve the other, and this was only the opening round in their little game of pleasure, especially if Ranma and Nabiki decided to join in and expand the fun that she could hear going on in the next room. With Nabiki's curse the possibilities would be endless, and all she had to do was wait and see what happened next, and meantime keep her hands warm with the supple and deliciously well-packed flesh of Shampoo, a warrior whom she had always admired, and...perhaps more than admired for all of the years they had known each other, and that mean that this was the perfect time to let loose with her years of accumulated and long-repressed desire. That this worked to Shampoo's benefit was merely fortuitous happenstance as Perfume's delight would be Shampoo's delight, and also Ukyo's delight as the three of them melded into a blissful state of co-mutual fulfillment...

The Nanoprobe was a tiny thing too small for the naked eye to perceive unaided, but once injected into the bloodstream of its new host, it knew how to navigate the currents of the circulatory system, having a ready map in its baseline program of the anatomy of the human body, which enabled it greatly to find the area where it needed to be and then home in on its target sector, the area relating to the reproductive organs.

Its mission parameters were fairly direct yet subject to flexible interpretations as determined by the conditions that it encountered. It was largely on a fact-finding assignment, but upon determining if a certain preset number of conditions were met, then it would take an active role as seemed appropriate to those circumstances. Once those conditions were met then it would relay its report to the mobile transceiver unit, and then await further instructions, which would in turn determine the course of its future actions.

Moving through the circulatory system was certainly not a task for the timid or poorly instructed, yet the probe had a limited intelligence and could spare no capacity for timidity or less than a full effort. By turns it arrived at the fallopian tubes and began to navigate through the narrow passage, the thick, mucus-like substance on the lining of the passage walls affording excellent traction as it took notice of the swarm of trilling sperm that were floating about through the main of the passage, fighting the good fight to work their way inward to the longed-for prize, unaware that it might not even be waiting for them at the end, depending on what period of her fertility cycle the host was presently at...though the probe did detect some interesting chemical indicators that indicated that the quest of the sperm might not be so fruitless as the odds might otherwise have favored.

As there were two passes to choose from it was fortuitous circumstance that it had chosen the right one to go down, and as it neared the area of focus it found the chemical signature was intensified, which meant that its own quest would be fulfilled, as well as the rest of its mission assignment.

Confirmed in this expectation, the probe plunged on and eventually found its way to the target area, where it found that the prize was indeed to be located. Satisfied that this would be a good spot for observation, it settled down and began to monitor the ensuing moment of contact when a cloud of sperm arrived and filled the entire passage, fighting against the tide to reach the coveted prize itself, which was protected by a mucus membrane from easy penetration. Only the strongest and hardiest of sperm could penetrate that, and only one out of millions would make the safe delivery of its all-important cargo...half the genetic code needed to create a new life. For that all else would be sacrificed, and in the success of one they all would prove successful.

The probe was hardly intelligent enough to be a philosophical sort, nor did it waste valuable capacity musing over the struggle for survival that was fought each and every time that a man planted his seed into the opening of a woman. The fierce odds against such a combination meant that eggs would only be fertilized as little as once in a thousand tries, or on the first try, depending on the whims of fate. A hardy sperm and an egg in good condition could create a viable union that might eventually result in a child, but again the odds were higher against this as only one out of every three such unions would go on to produce a successful fetus. Far too many fertilized eggs might fail to find their way to the uterus, and even more than this might prove to be less than fully viable, at which point the body itself would reject them. The rate of miscarriage was high in such affairs, and even if the egg survived to complete its full gestation there was still a chance that the resulting baby might not be fully healthy...it was all a matter of the luck of the numbers.

That being said, however, the odds did seem remarkably good here as the probe noticed the surprisingly healthy state of the sperm, and the rather aggressive way they fought to complete their own mission would have brought satisfaction to a more sophisticated droid, but the probe did-in its own way-admire efficiency in progress. Soon-almost inevitably-one succeeded in its mission and the egg immediately changed in reaction to the introduction of twenty-three new chromosomes, achieving the much coveted forty-six needed to begin the process of cellular division. That was the moment the probe had been waiting for, and immediately it detached itself from the wall and began to swim to the fertilized egg, attaching itself by a compatible gel that harmlessly bonded with the cell mucus so as to insure a protective cooperation could be forged. It would travel with the egg from this point forward and directly monitor its progress as it gradually sub-divided into a more complex host. With this worthy goal in mind it began the ride that would slowly progress, keeping in reserve it's secondary protective mission, which would engage should conditions arise that it had been designed to counter.

Conditions such as would result from the hosts contact with cold water, though the probe did not exactly account for this, designed with only one function in mind: to protect the new host and insure its viability and eventual survival...

"Something wrong?" Ranma asked as he paused in the act of giving his wife her third consecutive orgasm.

"I don't know," Nabiki frowned, "It was...a really weird feeling I just had...can't really explain it..."

"Well...then don't," Ranma smiled, "I'm trying to get you off, and I don't like it when you get distracted. It's...like a bad reflection on my performance."

Nabiki smiled back at him, "You don't need to worry about your performance with me, husband of mine...but, speaking of getting off, you've come inside me-  
what?-two times already? How can you still keep going? Most guys would collapse by now..."

"Guess that means I'm not like most guys," he responded with a soft chuckle, "And besides...I waited a long time for this, you don't think I'm going to give up on you now?"

"We both waited a long time for this, Ranma-ku...um...husband," Nabiki replied, albeit a bit sheepishly, "It's gonna take me a while to get used to that..."

"Me too...wife," Ranma chuckled back, "Guess there's a lot of stuff we're both gonna have to get used to...like doing this, for example..." and with that he pivoted his hips, which caused Nabiki to moan softly at the swiveling "stick" doing interesting things inside her own anatomy.

"Oh yeah..." Nabiki drew in a sharp breath, "That's DEFINITELY worth getting used to!"

"Getting used to having sex with a guy...as a girl?" Ranma asked delicately, hoping he was not treading into territory that was best avoided.

"Yeah," Nabiki glanced down, "This is definitely...different than sex with Shampoo...but just because it's a novelty doesn't mean I feel at all weird about it. This is, after all, the way I was born, and it's what I was meant to be when I'm having sex...with my husband."

"Are you sure about that?" Ranma asked.

"Excuse me?" Nabiki asked.

"Are you sure you weren't meant to be a part-time guy?" Ranma asked, "I mean...all this talk we've heard lately about destiny and fate...maybe you were meant to be a guy with shampoo and a girl with me...like maybe we were all meant to be part of some greater...I dunno...pattern or something? Does that make sense to you at all?"

"Actually it sounds like you've definitely been spending way too much time with Kuno," Nabiki mused.

"Yeah?" Ranma said as he once again swiveled his hips inside of Nabiki, "You think I wanna do this with Tachi-kun? Think again!"

"OOOO-all right, point taken!" Nabiki gasped, "It's not fair...you know all about this Kama Sutra stuff..."

"Kamasenken," Ranma corrected, "And if you're that hot on finding out how it works, then...I think you've come to the right instructor."

"Oh so?" Nabiki smiled, "You don't say? Well...by all means, husband dear...feel free to teach me."

"You asked for it," Ranma grinned, and proceeded to begin the instruction...

Kodachi was in fine form in expressing her affections with Akane, her childhood playmate and intimate boon companion. Rather than be rough or hasty in the manner in which they made love, they kissed and fondled each other with gentle affection and no great hurry to get on to the next level, taking their sweet time as they indulged in the simple pleasure of sharing warmth and the intimacy of their mutually well-toned bodies. Akane was no less delighted to welcome her best friend into her arms, having always admired Kodachi on some level, particularly for the great beauty and bounteous curves of the gymnast's supple body, just as Kodachi reveled in the strength and lushness of Akane's more compact and well-muscled body. As their kisses turned to licks and suckling noises, so did their groans of mutual delight as the gradually moved on to more and more passionate acts of mutual self-indulgence.

Keiko smiled as she caught a glimpse of her lady love and best friend writhing together on the floor with legs twined and bodies meshing together. She turned her attention back towards Ryonami, who was proving to be a delightfully subtle student of the mysteries of womanly sex. Though inexperienced, the girl was a natural at these arts of pleasure and a sure disciple to Keiko's skillful touch, which made the act of initiating Ryonami into the joys of sensual contact a delight unto itself, the moreso as there was a wide range of new tricks and skills that she had yet to teach this younger girl, and all of the night with which to play such sweet and interesting games.

Off to the other portion of the room the heroic duo of Alison and Beatrice were at it hot and heavy, the pregnant superhuman and her platinum genius mate were into their own special world of bountiful delights, the redheaded dynamo presently enjoying a good meal as her wife sat on her face while rubbing her own hands over the swelling abdomen that bore their as-yet unborn child, and the smile of absolute bliss on the face of Beatrice was nothing shy of beatific. It was clear these two were enjoying the fruits of their unusual union, and that brought another smile to Keiko's face, pleased to see old enemies making nice instead of the wrong kind of nasty.

Further off to the side were the two monitor screens, one of which had gone dark for a time but was now back online once again, showing that little slack had elapsed between Ranma and Nabiki, which impressed Keiko to no end as she had frankly not expected Saotome to keep up with his energetic wife...and who else besides Shampoo knew what Nabiki was capable of if she really got started? It was enough to make her partially rethink what she had long believed about men, and with that thought in mind she began to turn her attention back towards Ryonami, who was fully deserving of that attention. She was a beautiful, vibrant young girl with a body meant for loving, and Keiko had every intention of enjoying it with her friend being the beneficiary of the redhead's long and extensive training.

But as she thought these things a bell rang at the front door, causing heads to look up from all around in immediate irritation.

"What, again?" came Alison's muffled voice from the vicinity of Beiko's thighs.

"This is getting monotonous," said a panting Beiko, "I simply must...install...an automated answering service..."

"I'll get it," Akane growled as she climbed off of a disappointed Kodachi and stormed over to the door, pausing to growl, "Who's there?"

"A-A-Akane?" came a familiar muffled voice from the other side of the door.

"Ryoga?" Akane was completely startled, "Is that you?"

"I think so," Ryoga said, "Don't ask me how I found my way here...I've been all over the place. It's a good thing I got an early start or I might have been a lot later..."

The door was suddenly yanked open and there stood a naked Akane, her hair looking tousled and out of place, her skin flush with profuse sweat and arousal and her eyes somewhat dilated with emotion, leaving Ryoga to stare as stunned as if he had been stupefied by a gorgon. He barely even had time to frame the first part of her name when her hand seized him by the wrist and he found himself being yanked into the apartment. He squawked a little when he saw that the room was full of naked women, bodies twined together, but he before he had the time to pass out Akane pressed her fingers to the back of his neck and caused that motion to be checked, leaving him to shake his head a little in open wonder.

"W-W-What?" he gasped.

"Hey, what do you know?" Akane grinned, "It worked! Thanks, Kei-chan, I owe you!"

"No problem," Keiko smiled, "Glad I could help out."

"Uh-Akane?" Ryoga stammered slightly, as surprised as anyone that his nose was not profusely bleeding, "What's going on-AWP!" he gasped as he found himself being tackled to the floor, Akane's frantic hands busy setting about to remove the obstruction of his clothing.

"Way to go Tendo," Keiko murmured to herself, "Looks like things are about to get even more interesting, eh Ko-chan?"

"Oh my," Kodachi leered, "I do believe you are right about that, Darling."

"Ahem," Ryonami said, waving a bare leg as she pressed the bottom of her foot against one of Keiko's bosoms, "Did you forget something?"

Keiko smiled at her and said, "Not bloody likely. Ko-chan, would you care to share a dish of steaming hot Ryonami?"

"Why, I would be delighted to," Kodachi grinned as the two of them turned hungry eyes at the brown haired girl, who eyed them back lustfully and thrust her chest out as if offering herself like a blue plate special...

Ranma had been inside her for so long that Nabiki was almost considering the notion of charging him for rental space, but with due consideration of the services being rendered decided that she had adequate compensation, her lust being easily a match for his own as he continued to "instruct" her in the ways of the Kamasenken.

To say that she was delighting in her instruction would have been a vast understatement. Considering for how long she had been yearning to be joined to this man in both soul and body, the consummation of their mutual ardor made the long wait almost seem tolerable, and the skill he demonstrated in bringing her off unto her sixth consecutive orgasm was a wonder to behold. Truly his command of her nervous system and pleasurable centers was awesome and overwhelming, but even in a state of transcendent bliss she was mentally taking notes so as to remember what was being done to her body so that she could apply these same lessons to Shampoo on some (very soon) up and cumming occasion.

"Ow wow..." she gasped when Ranma paused to reposition their bodies with one of her long legs stretched out over the bed and her upper body turned to face upward in a twisting pattern that allowed him to play with her bosoms while he once again reamed her ass, "You sure are...something...Ranma-kun..."

"Look who's talking," Ranma grunted back as he once more began to play with her nerve clusters, "Perfume would never have lasted this long...she tended to pass out...after only a few minutes of caressing..."

"Oh so?" Nabiki smiled slyly, "Just caressing, huh? You sure you never got inside her?"

"I swear to you," Ranma replied, "You're the first girl I ever did this with...I mean...got this far and all. You know Perfume's sensitivity problem...she was afraid it might hurt too much...if I did this..." and he moved his pelvis to ram his man-meat home with gentle persuasion, causing Nabiki's eyes to momentarily cross at the swelling of his member deep within her rectum.

"Oh yeah..." Nabiki gasped again, "Guess that means...I'm the one who's lucky..."

"No," Ranma said as he felt his way along her body, "I am. You're just the most incredible girl I've ever known, Nabiki. I mean...Perfume's great, and it was a lot of fun to cuddle with her and all that, and she's got the most wonderful set of..."

"Okay," Nabiki said, "Now I am definitely...gonna have another talk with that girl."

"Don't be mean to her, she did me a great favor and helped us to get so much closer together," Ranma urged as he moved his hands in accordance with what he sensed were her desires, "Aren't you glad she showed me how to do stuff like this? She gave me the courage to do...this..."

"This" turned out to be a double combination of Ranma pressing an area on her back before moving lower to squeeze one of her ass-cheeks even as his other hand pinched and pulled on her left nipple, the sum combination sending yet another overwhelming jolt of pleasure all the way through Nabiki's body. Her response was half a yelp and half again an unrestrained moan of contentment that was followed by a wave of physical bliss that momentarily colored Nabiki's world in warm and passionate sensations.

"OOOOkay!" she groaned, thinking to herself that one of the first people whom she would try that technique upon would definitely be a certain brown-haired meddlesome ax-kitty, "Now you've definitely convinced me! This Kamasenken stuff is dynamite...I wonder if Shampoo would like a taste of it the next time we're together?"

"Which is soon, I hope," Ranma chuckled, "But be fair, Nabiki...you've had her for months now...I'd like a chance to get to know her better."

"Is that so?" Nabiki gave him another sly look, "Planning on making a play for my wife, are you, Ranma-kun?"

"Ain't that one of the compensations of a double-marriage?" Ranma chuckled, "You're the one who always said that I was getting a packaged deal...four for the price of one."

"Hmmm...I did say that, didn't I?" Nabiki mused, "Well...tell you what...we'll make a little deal to share her, say...fifty-fifty? You get one end, I'll take the other."

"How about I take on both of you, no holds barred?" Ranma counter-offered.

"Hmmm...tempting," Nabiki grinned all the more, then grunted as Ranma managed to grind his manhood in a twisting motion as he rocked her hips from side-to-side with his hand, preventing her from immediately uttering a response that could be considered intelligible for several long seconds.

"Do we have a deal now...Mrs. Saotome?" Ranma leered.

"OOOOOOOHH-No fair! That cheating!"

"Is it now?" Ranma asked as he brought his fingers down to her loins and began to pinch and play with her clitoris, "How about this, then?"

Nabiki's response was to roll up her eyes and heave another profuse groan as she felt the sparks run up her body and fire her nipples like the flick of a lash. When at last she was coherent again she said, "Okay...now I'm definitely convinced...that you must have done this...before..."

"Like, who with?" Ranma chuckled, "You don't think I practiced on someone else besides you and Per-chan?"

"Hmmm..." Nabiki briefly considered Kaoih once again, and this time she imagined Ranma's athletic half-sister writhing on a bed with her brother inside her in such a manner and found the idea...more than a little bit arousing. She was about to make pleasurable comment to that effect, just to see how Ranma would react to the charge of possible incest, when something splashed her in the face like a cup-full of Kasumi-held cold water.

Immediately she changed into Kaneda, and Ranma found himself suddenly laying with a guy in his arms, his rod buried in his rectum while his hand was now firmly wrapped around an entirely male penis. For one whole minute the two of them lay there in stunned amazement, and then like a shot Ranma let the other man go and pulled out from Kaneda's anus so fast that there was an actual popping noise in passing.

"AHHHH..." Ranma was on the edge of the bed with both hands firmly between his own legs, clutching each other as he tried to make coherent sense of what had just happened.

Kaneda felt a wave of something like...disappointment pass over him...but not so severe that he could fail to understand the reasons for the other boy's sudden aversion. Of more concern to him was wondering how he had been splashed with water in the middle of a supposedly airtight cabin. Had a pipe burst or the ship sprung a leak or something? He steadfastly refused to believe that the Fates themselves had deliberately triggered his curse at such a delicate moment, just to test the depths of Ranma's resolution.

"What the hell just happened?" he wondered aloud, "Where did that water come from? And after I've managed to go three whole days without getting wet..."

"Heh...kind of a record that, huh?" his husband nervously replied, "Guess...it was just a matter of time...sooner or later..."

Kaneda managed to contain his sadness as he studied Ranma's backside and said, "Guess it was...sooner or later...too bad it couldn't have been much later..."

"Yeah," Ranma replied, "No fooling..."

Of course what the two confused youths could not know, let alone be aware of, at that precise moment, deep inside the body of Kaneda, the Nanoprobe was registering the successful conclusion of its third-stage testing procedure. The unscheduled transition of the host from female to male gender had indeed created a wave pattern that caused an internal shift of anatomy to accord the newly masculine status, and yet the Probe had managed to shield the precious egg from the results of that shifting, allowing it to divide into four identical parts while the Probe registered an "All Systems Green" log in its internal memory, a report that it would later file with its true Mistress as per her instructions.

The fertilized egg had survived the anticipated crisis and remained viable, at least at this stage of its development, it still being too small to cause any disruption to the male anatomy of the host. By itself this was a good thing to the Probe's level of understanding, but there was the alarming possibility that the egg might not survive if it grew too much larger than its current state, a fact that it would log in its eventual report so that further measures might be undertaken to insure its future survival. Transporting the egg to the uterus now took on a greater priority once the host shifted back to female status where the bonding process might be used to insure its continued viability. The Probe would do all that was within its power to protect this precious egg, that being the foremost directive of its central programming. A chemical analysis had determined that it was in all ways healthy and had the potential to grow into a productive and effective baby, and if this proved to be the case it would justify the Probe's entire existence.

The Nanoprobe could hardly experience such a sophisticated concept as pride, but in its own way it registered...satisfaction...with the ideal of its projected course of action. That being said, it would wait and bide its time before carrying out its secondary program, content that all was proceeding normally, as per the wishes of its creator a Hive Mother that gave it birth. The seeds of a destiny would take root in the near future and in time blossom out to a potential new host that would, in time, serve as a home to a future colony. With that in mind it bided its time and waited for conditions to shift once again in the manner that would be required to complete a successful implantation, egg replicating at a rate that was somewhat ahead of normal projections, yet which seemed in no way chemically hastened, a fact that puzzled the Probe slightly, reckoning that the normal rate of cellular division should be approximately twenty minutes and not the twelve that it was currently observing, but so long as the egg remained viable it saw no difficulties, not having been programmed to understand the curious effect of a Jusenkyo curse in maximizing the rate of gestation.

And somewhere, back at a certain apartment in Japan, where the seven occupants were all too busy to take notice, a new icon flashed on the monitor screen assigned to cover the activities of Ranma and Nabiki, which Beatrice would have recognized had she chanced to look, her attention being...otherwise focused at that precise moment to the worthy goal of pleasing a certain pregnant redhead.

The damaged unit was reporting in that self-repairs were progressing at an acceptable rate while the third unit had arrived and was now monitoring the situation with triangular augmentation of the Probe's weak chemical signal. So far the mission appeared to be progressing at an altogether satisfactory rate, and yet both Probes did chance to take note of a slight...disturbance in the ethosphere...a curious phenomenon that they duly recorded and logged in their joint report back to their Mistress.

Said disturbance, however, was more significant than these tiny units could have realized, for at that moment a third set of eyes were observing everything that was taking place on board the luxury liner with great enthusiasm and interest. A cunning smile worthy of a great predator formed across a set of sensual lips as a feminine voice remarked to itself, "So that's the way things stand, eh? How curious, and yet...how...entirely convenient..."

And though the speaker was many nautical leagues away from his position, the youth calling himself Kaneda thought he heard a sinister laugh somewhere in the back of his mind and trembled slightly, then dismissed the sensation as the probable result of too many between-meal snacks confused just prior to his (or-  
-at the time-HER) screw-fest with Ranma. He was more concerned with how he had been doused with cold water when there was not even a glass of the stuff present, a genuine mood-spoiler, which was why he was attempting to come up with a ready explanation as he sought to console his highly-disturbed "husband."

To say the least, it was not a situation that the smooth-talking Kaneda in any way relished, but for the sake of his marriage he was prepared to broach the unspoken subject that had hung between them from the very beginning...namely his own sex-changing status.

He just wondered why it was that he was-for some indefinable reason-sporting a massive hard-on, the lingering result of his previously aroused state, no doubt, and yet which still seemed full in effect as he contemplated Ranma's backside. Nabiki-kun swallowed thickly, realizing how things might appear to Ranma's perspective, and hastily covered over his male member, not wanting to give his husband the wrong impression...

That is-he added with a slight mental shudder-if it truly would be the WRONG impression...

Continued.

Comments/Criticisms/Categorical Denials of Yaoi Intentions: shadowmane

Disturbed at this change of directions? And well you should be! Ranma and "Kaneda" must confront the all-but-forbidden issue of their marriage before deciding what-if anything-should be done about it. Meanwhile Ukyo, Shampoo and Perfume continue to broaden their fun while things get even steamier around a certain Lost Boy, who has found himself inexplicably caught up in an orgy and no way at all for him to make a dash for the exits! As if that were not all, a certain other "interested" party pays her respects to the married couples and things get really interesting from there on out. Be sure to stay tuned for: "Honeymoon Hentai Hijinx-Part II," or "Shanghaied Surprise!" (Would you believe, "Guess who's Cumming to Dinner?") Be there!

X

If you wish to check out my other works, Please check out my Fanfiction webpage at: . All related chapters of this series can be found there along with my other works.

X /pre 


	3. Chapter 3

preDNabikiTHC3

Nabiki 1/2

"A Very Scary Thought"

by Jim Robert Bader

The Honeymoon Chapter

HENTAI ALERT: MATURE ADULT MATERIAL!  
CONTAINS SITUATIONS OF A CARNAL, SENSUAL NATURE. IF YOU ARE EASILY UPSET BY SCENES OF BONDAGE, DISCIPLINE, SADO-MASOCHISM,  
BISEXUALITY AND OUTRIGHT NAUGHTINESS,  
TRY LOOKING SOMEWHERE ELSE, BUB!  
YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED!

Her name was Lao-Kahn, though some would call her Lanocane the Pirate. She preferred the name Madam Lao, Queen of the South Asian seas and undisputed mistress of the Good (for lack of a better term) Ship "Piece of Junk." This (admittedly dubious) honor was not something she had chosen or actively pursued for herself, being more of a curse than a gift, but one to which she had long ago grown accustomed given that she had very little choice in the matter.

She was very tall for a woman, standing near to six feet even with long hair that was a pale blue-green coloration, and remarkably handsome for a lady in her mid-to-late thirties. Though born of Chinese and ancient Scythian heritage, with more than a modicum of alien ancestry, she had a quixotic appearance that made her ancestry almost impossible to determine upon the surface, not that she counted her formidable heritage for much these days, having lived in exile from her people for more than a decade.

That decade had been spent mastering the intricacies of her ship, a magical vessel created centuries before by a powerful Chinese Wizard during the era when the Middle Kingdom was not so isolated nor as xenophobic. The spells that had been incorporated into its every fiber had imbued the ship with a life of its own, though time and misfortune had turned its magics inward and soured them against normal life. The vessel had grown old and wise with the passage of the ages, like an old woman turned strange and bitter. By the time it had wound up in Lao's custody it was virtually a ghost ship, haunted by his crew and the spirits of those who had died within its holds, a cursed relic of a bygone era and certainly no prize to be won as ownership had a price that was too steep to pay, and far too grim to be contemplated.

Lao had changed many things about her vessel, changed its direction and had given it a purpose. Today it sailed the seas like a phantom, invisible to radar and normal observation, warping the space around it with a magical fog that obscured its very existence from even modern instruments. The inside of the ship was much, much larger than the exterior, and the exterior itself was huge, easily the size of a small cruiser, which was considerable mass for a vessel made entirely of wood. It prowled the seas like a lumbering predatory, slipping in and out of ports throughout the region with the sly stealth of a great beast in the shadows, transporting contraband and smuggling goods that well-paying clients wished to trade outside of the notice of legal authorities and customs.

Among the contraband she most preferred to deal with were slaves...women trained to be sexual objects...toys for the amusement of wealthy clients, courtesans who were accomplished in the arts of giving and receiving pleasure. These women-  
obtained through means both fair and foul-were her most prized possessions, the ones whom Lao lavished time and attention upon with the goal of insuring that each one of them would become an accomplished concubine, gifted in the sensual arts and as receptive to pleasure as the whim or suggestion that would suit their eventual owners.

That this practice was-technically speaking-highly illegal was of mild concern to the self-styled lady Pirate. That there might be moral and ethical concerns inherent in her peculiar business was something to which she had long ago become inured, having resolved whatever issues she might once have had with the practice, and even going so far as to be convinced that it was a legitimate service. She was not delusional about the nature of her business, and she knew full well the even more peculiar nature of human beings, particularly the men who liked to own women. She knew full well the brutality and inhumanity that could be visited upon the weak and the helpless, and so took steps to insulate her business against that sort of individual, the type who would give her sort of profession a bad name.

All right, she would argue, so her methods might seem questionable, but the results were often splendid in that she graduated many women from her self-run school of "hard-knockers," and she never truly abandoned any of her charges to her "clients," keeping one good eye upon them to insure that they were not mistreated nor abused, else she would vent her wrath upon the abusers and collect the goods (along with the hides of the maladjusted wretches) with a haste that was swift, certain and often quite bloody. She wanted to be sure that her women always "found a good home," because she wanted to have fun and still be able to sleep at nights, a feat unto itself when it came to sleeping within a haunted vessel.

And so it was that this "benevolent" pirate was presently keeping an eye upon those youths in whom she found great favor, having a fresh memory of her months-  
ago encounter with this particular group that were now enjoying a shared Honeymoon together.

"Interesting," she mused as she studied the image projected by an artifact that she called the "Lens of Magellan," an ancient device created by the ship's own original inhabitant, "So that's the way it is between those two. I can't say that I find it too surprising, but I rather imagine that Tendo-san is feeling more than a bit disappointed in the attitude of her Airen."

The captain was presently sitting down upon a "living chair" composed of several well-trained slaves who had been taught to assume a set of complimentary positions that supported the weight of their Mistress in a decidedly inclined position. Lao was leaning back upon the warm surface with her feet propped up on a human "footstool," and much were those slaves grateful that their "loving benefactor" kept her body in youthful trim so that her weight was not too onerous a burden. Lao was holding up her wineglass, into which another slave dutifully poured a rich rose vintage (and being EXTRA careful not to spill a single drop), savored the aroma of the wine before sipping at it gently, her eyes never leaving the projected imagery of events happening not all that far away aboard another type of vessel, a luxury cruise liner.

"Mistress?" asked Blossom, not a slave but rather a trusted subordinate and prime member of her crew (as well as being a fellow Amazon exile), who stood to one side and dutifully overheard the comment of her captain.

"Just musing aloud," Lao smiled as she eyed the blue haired warrior and first officer of her ship, "I thought to test young Saotome's resolve with a simple dousing of water on his Jusenkyo-cursed husband. As anticipated, the boy reacted rather badly to the sudden discovery that he had his dick in the rectum of another man rather than the wife whom he had been so enthusiastically plowing."

"You made her change while he was still inside her, Mistress?" Blossom blinked then said, "Ow."

"Oh, no worry there," Lao assured her, "I wouldn't have done it to the boy if he had been inside her other opening...they'd probably wind up fused together like a pair of Siamese Twins, or something equally unpleasant. I merely wanted to see how deep the boy's feelings actually run since he was putting in such a splendid performance doing things on the straight and narrow."

"Excuse me, Mistress?" Blossom asked.

"Think about it," Lao replied, "The boy trained long and hard to get where he is today, even going so far as to create several new systems of martial arts, one pertaining entirely to the arts of giving and sharing pleasures. Obviously he has a great deal of enthusiasm for screwing with his new wife, but I was...curious to know if he would show even a fraction as much energy for when his wife turned into a husband. I wonder if he ever even gave it serious thought until this moment. So far everyone in their happy little group has been willing to go bisexual with their mutual loved ones, I simply wanted to know if Ranma would prove to be the sole exception."

"You mean...does he like boys?" Blossom asked, "Well...I suppose it matters on how his mother raised him..."

"Yes indeed," Lao mused as she assumed a very thoughtful expression, "Of course his mother does have some rather curious values when it comes to the subject of her son's manly behavior. This Nodoka seems to have oddly contradictory views on the matter, and I wonder if that might account for the boy's previous unease when it came to the whole subject of sex itself. A wonderful thing that my own adopted cousin should be the one to enlighten him on this topic, giving him the bold initiative that he was previously lacking."

"I guess," Blossom said dubiously, eyeing the projection of two naked boys sitting on a bed together while admiring their curiously...aesthetic appearance.

"Um...Mistress...are you certain that it's wise to be spying on this particular couple?" voiced a timid Lotus, yet another Amazon Exile whom Madam Lao regarded as both a friend and a subordinate "helpmate," "Didn't your husband forbid you to interfere in the lives of the Tendo and Saotome families?"

"Who's interfering?" Lao tactfully countered, "And can't I have a healthy concern on the welfare of my own kinsfolk? My cousins are married to these artful teenagers, and their future happiness depends upon them. Besides, I am only engaging in some perfectly harmless spying, just to see that they are well on their way to a happy marriage, and surely my loving husband could not object to such a thing? Why, to do so would be inhuman."

"Yes...so?" the pink-haired Lotus asked reasonably.

"We would not dream of criticizing your Airen, Mistress," Blossom added, "But...technically speaking...he isn't really all that...human."

Lao thought a moment on that, her mind going back a few years to her fateful confrontation with the indomitable "Doctor Franklin Nathaniel Steinberg," a battle royal that had been truly memorable and nothing short of epic, particularly the ending moves that they each had thrown at each other in the final match, Lao unleashing her formidable Tsunami Attack, her opponent using his even more awe inspiring Chained Lightning counter-offensive, which had ended their match rather quickly and come disturbingly close to giving Lao a hair-perm reminiscent of another certain "bride" of Doctor Steinberg's past acquaintance.

Of course flashing back to that incident also brought to mind the rather...energetic way in which she had celebrated the conquest of her new Airen. Her second husband had expressed surprise at being greeted in such a manner, but neither had he been adverse to reciprocating, giving Lao ample understanding on why so many referred to him as "The Monster."

"Ah...yes," Lao colored abruptly at the memory, "But he was certainly human enough in the ways that truly matter..."

"Mistress?" Lotus asked.

"Never mind about him," Lao said rather curtly, "I'm much more curious about this odd...interference pattern that I'm picking up around the edges. If I didn't know better, I think someone else besides me was spying on these teenagers. I wonder...perhaps I should turn up the volume? After all, I would very much like to hear what these two are saying..."

And with a wave of her hand the infamous Slaver caused the voices of the two boys to rise to where she could hear them with more clarity, all the while taking notice of a wave interference pattern that suggested to her that she was not the only one secretly listening in on this all too private conversation...

"Um...Nabiki...Kaneda?" Ranma hesitated.

"Yeah, Ranma-kun?"

"I'm...sorry about the way I just acted," Ranma said without turning around, "I-  
I didn't think...it was just instinct..."

Kaneda gave a short, "Ha" of exclamation and said, "You don't need to explain that to me, Ranma-kun. I wouldn't expect you to...to want to...do me as a guy..."

"Ah," Ranma said in response to this, "It ain't you...I mean...it ain't you-  
you...I mean...it's just...I ain't Yaoi, you know what I mean?"

"Yaoi?" Kaneda repeated, turning a half-glance over his shoulder, "You'd better not be, unless you've been putting on one hell of a good act. Ah...I wouldn't expect you to want to...I mean..."

"Yeah," Ranma said, "I'm trying not to think on that, okay? I mean..."

"Uh...yeah," Kaneda said nervously, "That."

"Don't get me wrong," Ranma said, "I like...doing it with your other self, but..."

"Oh?" Kaneda lifted and eyebrow, "You mean it's all right to do that to me when I'm a girl, but it's not all right when I'm like this?"

"Well...yeah," Ranma admitted, "Nothing wrong with that, is there?"

Kaneda thought about it for a moment then said, "Guess I'm in no position to say otherwise...I've done it often enough with Shampoo, usually at her insistence. And it wasn't exactly the most unpleasant thing I've ever experienced...a little painful at first, but after a while..."

"Um...yeah...that was the general idea..." Ranma said.

"You mean you've done this before...with someone else?" Kaneda asked with a wry smirk.

"No!' Ranma protested, "I..." and then he caught the smirk on the other man's lips, that sardonic look he was so used to seeing on the face of Nabiki, "Oh. Ah...well...I kind of...got it on second-hand authority..."

"From Kaoih?" Kaneda lifted an eyebrow then stared straight ahead, "I'm going to have to have some words with that girl the next time her circus is in town. What else did she tell you that I know Perfume could not have clued you in on."

"Uh...well..." Ranma colored, "Sis was...pretty descriptive...I think she was trying to prepare me for our match. You know, I used to be pretty...shy about this stuff..."

"No fooling?" Kaneda sniffed, "I'd never have guessed."

"Yeah," Ranma agreed, "Me neither."

An awkward silence fell over them both, but then Ranma heaved a sigh and said, "This is stupid."

"It is?" Kaneda asked.

"I shouldn't be letting something like this...you know...get to me," Ranma fidgeted with his hands as he struggled to make sense of his emotions, "You're still the same guy...girl...whatever...just because you change...it doesn't really change what's in you. I mean...in some way you do act different as a guy..."

"I do?" Kaneda blinked his eyes, "Like...how?"

"Well," Ranma sorted through his thoughts to frame his thoughts then said, "For one thing...you're a lot more competitive as a guy...you're more aggressive, um...well...you can also seem kind of...macho..."

"Macho," Kaneda said with lifted eyebrows, "You are calling me that?"

"Yeah," Ranma said sheepishly, "Go figure."

"Macho," Kaneda softly repeated, "Exactly how am I macho?"

"Well," Ranma said, looking like he wished he had not brought up the subject, "You're a pretty take-charge king of guy, and you like to be the first in everything, and you act more on impulse than when you're a girl. Nabiki...you tend to be more of a thinker than I am...at least most of the time. That's why I had to study so hard to learn how to out-think you in our big fight...and I was lucky that you were as distracted as you were because you made a rare mistake and underestimated me. If you had been even one tenth as alert as you normally are you would have figured out the Senken a long time before the fight concluded, and you would have been all over me a lot sooner than you were..."

"All right, so I got careless near the end there," Kaneda grumbled, "And I took it for granted that my training would give me the edge. I made the mistake of doing what I said I'd never do, which was to bet against you in a fight, and I deserve getting my ass kicked over that, but...how exactly does that make me macho?"

Ranma just smiled, prudently realizing that there was no graceful way for him to answer that question. Kaneda seemed to sense it, too, because he smiled back with a sense of irony, hearing the echo of his own words and realizing exactly what he sounded like as he spoke them.

"Okay, so maybe that was a pretty macho thing to say," Kaneda said ruefully, "Maybe I've been hanging around with you too much, or maybe this body does something to me...a hormonal thing, I get to thinking like a..."

"Like a guy?" Ranma said, "Don't worry, I won't hold it against you."

"Gee, thanks," Kaneda sniffed.

"You're welcome," Ranma softly chuckled, "Kami-sama...what a pair we make, huh? I mean...I like you as yourself, Nabiki...I really do care about you...even as a guy. You're like my best friend...like another guy I like to hang around with. I mean...when you're a girl...that's different. I know it shouldn't be different, but...well...I just..."

Kaneda's hand on Ranma's arm halted the flow of words, and the sex-changing boy eyed his husband with a frank expression, his brown eyes registering complete understanding as he said, "You don't have to say it, Ranma-kun. I wouldn't expect you to feel the same way...I mean...sexually, that is. To me it doesn't make any difference, but...well...I wouldn't expect you to want to...you know..."

Ranma looked down and said, "I...I don't feel good about this. I mean...it doesn't bother me that you do it with girls...at least...not any more, not that we're both married to three girls we both care a lot about..."

"Three girls?" Kaneda said in amusement, "You and Perfume-chan really have gotten pretty close of late, haven't you?"

"Ah...no comment," Ranma colored, then sighed, "The point is...you can do it with both sexes, but for me...I...well...if I did it with you as a guy..."

"Your mother might have questions?" Kaneda said in amusement, "She wouldn't be the only one. It's all right, Ranma...what matters to me is that you care enough that you'd even think about it. To tell you the truth, I don't know what it would be like for me to do it as a guy with another guy...probably...a lot different than doing it with Shampoo, or with you when I'm a girl...only I'm not really sure how it would be different. Does that make any kind of sense?"

"I don't know," Ranma sighed, "It's not all right with me...it's just...well...weird to think about it. Maybe I just need time, or something like that...but...well...I knew what you were like as a guy when I married you, so maybe it isn't really as important as I'm making it sound. You're still you no matter what you look like, and I...I care about you. I don't want there to be any walls between us."

"Thank you," Kaneda said tightly, feeling a lump in his throat that belied the notion that men were not supposed to cry like women, "That means a lot to me, Ranma-kun. I don't want there to be any walls between us either, especially when you can make love like you were doing a minute ago. I want to do it with you just as soon as I change back into my girl half."

"Thanks," Ranma said, somewhat relieved to be let off the hook, "And I wanna do it with you...just as long as I don't have to...um..."

Kaneda felt a warmth of affection for the boy that was his husband, but still a mischievous whim made him add as if in afterthought, "I'll let it go for now...but maybe one of these days..."

"Ah...yeah...maybe," Ranma swallowed.

"In the meantime," Kaneda continued, "Mind if I make a suggestion that should get us both in the mood for some more fun and games? It just so happens that there are three girls in the next room who seem to think that they can have a good time without us. Care to join me in showing them the error of their ways?"

A smile replaced the nervous looks Ranma had been paying to the boy beside him, becoming a sly grin a moment later that easily matched the one adopted by Kaneda.

"So, that's what they're thinking, huh?" Ranma rumbled like a hungry wolf sensing prey, "Well, we've got to do something about that, right?"

"My thoughts exactly," Kaneda smiled, standing up off the bed, which caused Ranma to involuntarily glance down, "I suggest we approach with stealth and strike where they least expect it, Perfume-chan included."

"Um...right," Ranma said, hesitating getting off of the bed until Kaneda had already started to head for the door, then he shook his head and murmured to himself, "Big...I don't believe it...he's bigger than me...uhm...hooboy..."

"Interesting," Lao purred softly, "The boy does surprise me, but Nabiki...she is indeed most surprising. I had no idea their feelings ran so deep that they would even broach this most taboo of subjects. Perhaps their relationship is not a fluke after all, perhaps they truly are meant for one another. True love...ah...I am such a romantic..."

"My lady?" Lotus asked with arched eyebrows, not daring to voice aloud what thoughts came to mind upon **that** subject.

"Never mind," Lao's eyes took on a calculating look as she continued to gaze upon the projected image, "This should be very interesting indeed, especially if they carry through on their promised threat towards their mutual female lovers. Now if only I could isolate that curious interference wave I seem to be detecting...ah well..." she took a sip from her goblet then added, "The important point is...my two Cousins will shortly be learning the extent of their mutual ardor, and I, for one, can't wait to see this happen..."

Ukyo gazed at her two lovers through half-lidded eyes as she kept her thighs spread wide apart and savored the feeling of soft lips and probing tongue plowing the trench of her vagina. Shampoo was proving to be very adept at the art of eating out pussy, and it was all Ukyo could do to hang on for the ride as she felt her clitoris and love canal be pleasured by the agile and sensitive lips of the Amazon as the Purple Haired wonder made a meal out of the Okonomiyaki chef's loins, inducing a state of pleasurable bliss that was only briefly interrupted by a periodic orgasm while Ukyo felt her own breasts and tugged on her nipples to further enhance her already considerable pleasure.

Shampoo was herself delighting in the sensuous way that Ukyo was groaning, moaning and writhing at the mercy of her dexterous tongue and loving caresses. Ukyo's cum had a flavor not unlike a slightly lemon-tinged taffy, and the flavor of it was so sweet to drink down that the Amazon wanted to spare no effort at inducing further pleasures. Having Ukyo at her mercy was bringing out the hungry predator in Shampoo's nature, and there was sweetness in the sounds the other girl was making at being lovingly ravished by an Amazon in heat. There was such a thrill in feeling the tremendous strength and suppleness of Ukyo's thighs as she plowed the gulf between them, intent on ravishing the Chef until she was a quivering mound of jelly fit for ready consumption. Shampoo had long suspected that Ukyo would taste this sweet in her mouth, and the fulfillment of this particular fantasy was proving to be delirious good fun, just the sort of thing she needed after months of playing the invalid with people acting as though there were something wrong in making love to a pregnant woman.

That Ukyo had no complaints of the treatment that she was receiving was satisfying in itself, but the real surprise in all of this was turning out to be Perfume, Shampoo's well-endowed and equally aroused adopted cousin. Perfume had taken command over Shampoo's ass and was refusing to surrender it as she worked her cousin over with hands, mouth and other parts of her body. Shampoo was astonished upon discovering just what sort of things Perfume could do with her potent nerve clusters, and it was amazing at how easily Shampoo became like putty in her hands, every bit as much at Perfume's mercy as Ukyo was to Shampoo, making the three of them a daisy chain of love that was proving to be magic!

Perfume was savoring the sense of complete freedom and absolute power that she held over her much-beloved cousin. Shampoo was indeed proving to be every bit as responsive to her touch as the Enforcer had dared to hope that she would be, and the more Perfume ran her hands over the voluptuous form of her fellow Amazon, the more Perfume was possessed of a desire to ravish her silly. It was like finding a wonderful new toy with which to play, and the understated invitation Shampoo conveyed to her of wanting to be played with just encouraged her to want to go deeper and farther in her use of the Kamasenken. A long repressed and barely acknowledged (until now) admiration for her cousin filled Perfume with the desire to possess her for herself, and so she would use every skill at her disposal to give Shampoo the satisfaction that came with knowing how much she was desired by her lifelong "playmate."

To say the least, Perfume was feeling highly...stimulated, one thigh resting between Shampoo's legs, rubbing lightly against the top part of a velvet pussy while Perfume's hands were cupped around those large and globular breasts dangling towards the floor by her amorous cousin. Perfume delighted in the soft-yet-firm mounds of glorious flesh that were as sensitive to the touch as her own rather pendulous bosoms, and the sharp gasps that escaped from the muffled groans Shampoo was making testified to how much she delighted in having her nipples pulled and played with. When faint beads of lactating milk began to flow onto Perfume's fingers she briefly paused to bring those hands up to her lips in order to taste them. Delighting in the savor of fresh breast-milk, Perfume felt her tongue grow parched with a thirst to take those bosoms into her mouth for a long and glorious suckle.

Before she could get too far carried away into her fantasies, however, she heard a faint creak upon the floor, the sound of bare feet treading on carpet, and knew at once that someone was attempting to approach her with stealthy moves and a pantherish gait, like one stalking prey. The Enforcer's battle-hardened senses came to the fore, only to be somewhat relaxed at the belated recognition of a scent that she immediately classified as a masculine-scented Nabiki. That was why she hesitated to react, right up to the time when a pair of hands slipped around her waist and found her breasts, cupping them like a pair of well-hung melons.

"Nihao," came the not-so-subtle purring into her ear of a roughened male voice, "You and me have some discussing to do, Sugar, if you don't mind laying off my wife for a bit."

Perfume involuntarily gulped, suddenly feeling quite shy and extremely nervous as she sensed the lustful intent of her newly-claimed co-wife. Only for a second did she hesitate, though, before reluctantly surrendering her claim to Shampoo's well-turned fanny, allowing herself to be drawn away into the arms of a sex-changing (and horny) martial artist.

"Don't worry about Sham-chan, Kitty," Ranma smiled at her in passing, moving into the slot that Perfume had just vacated, "I'll keep things nice and warm on this end while you can play with Nabiki."

"R-R-Ranchan?" Ukyo gasped, looking up to see him fill the space before her line-of-vision that had been previously held by her Perfume-chan.

"Just stay there and keep on doing what you're doing, Ucchan," Ranma encouraged, running his hands up and down Shampoo's fanny to determine the extent of her arousal, "I'll get to you in a bit, but first...oh yeah...you're good and wet all right. Don't know if you're ready for this or not, Sham-chan, but I just can't resist such an open invitation.

Shampoo did not remove her face from where it was nestled between Ukyo's thighs, but she lifted both lavender eyebrows at this as she felt the boy play around with her anatomy, and using a good deal more skill than even Perfume had demonstrated in stroking her nerve endings. Shampoo unselfconsciously began shifting her hips to reposition her pelvis, sensing what was about even before she felt the tip of Ranma's ramrod-hard dick press against her opening, and then she felt him begin to slide into her gulf, moving fluidly to sink it in all the way with hardly more than a gasp from her lips in the passing, a gesture that pleasured Ukyo to no end as it felt as though the Amazon were blowing air into her own pussy. The feel of Ranma's rod inside her depths gave Shampoo a strange sense of happy satisfaction, as though she had been awaiting his arrival all along and had merely anticipated his eventual mounting. To say the least, it felt GOOD to have him at long-last inside her.

Ranma could not believe how easy it had been to plunge his manhood into the wet, slick gates of the Amazon's pelvis, but he was far from one to complain as he set about to partially pull out before filling her again, going back and forth in slow-grinding motions as he worked his way around to find a good position, one that would allow his member to rub against and stimulate the maximum number of nerve clusters, just to be sure that Shampoo got as much out of the ride as he knew he would. The purple-haired girl's loins were as velvety soft and accommodating as a fur-lined glove, and the more he increased his pelvic thrusts into her the greater was his sense of her happily yielding herself to receive him.

Meanwhile the other Chinese girl was being pleasured in a different way by an equally amorous "Kaneda," whose hands roved over the length of Perfume's body as though she were a musical instrument upon which a symphony of happy noises would soon be played. The sex-changing boy was fully in command here and left the brown haired Amazon in no doubt of that fact whatsoever, positioning Perfume in his lap in such a way that she found herself straddling his massive hard-on. Glancing down at the curious sight of a nine-inch member curving up from the space between her own legs, she felt a nervousness unlike any other she had previously known at the thought of such a "deadly weapon" being used to spear her, a fact not lost on either of them as both knew that this was exactly what Kaneda was intending.

"I owe you for this, Sugar," Kaneda leered into Perfume's ear as his hands traveled up and down her torso before cupping her breasts again and giving her nerve-clusters an appropriate level of attention, "Any last words before you take it in?"

Perfume gulped at the ominous implications of those words and softly whimpered, "Be gentle."

"That goes without saying," Kaneda said as his hands traveled down to her waist, and then she found herself being partially lifted off the floor as her body was positioned in the space over his lap. All at once she felt the rounded head of something pressing against her already well-lubricated loins, and then another second later she was made to sit down, easing herself atop of him as his member impaled her sex, going in a good six inches without encountering more than a slight token of her resistance.

Perfume gasped at being filled in just such a way, pausing to shift her weight to make it easier before she sank the remaining few inches and was totally "spiked" with his loins thrusting upward into her cleft. Her soft mewing became much louder groans as Kaneda resumed fondling her, cupping and molding her breasts while his lips found their way to the back of her neck and started to caress her.

Shampoo was one very happy camper at having her own loins being pumped by eight inches of Ranma, her muffled gasps and cries causing Ukyo no end of distraction. This was certainly a ride well worth the wait, for Ranma was plowing her trough as though he had been doing it for years, and it felt so good to be claimed by him at last! Shampoo had rather delighted at the way Perfume had been playing with her earlier, and she dearly loved the taste of a woman in her mouth or on her sex, but there had been something missing all this while, and now she knew just what it was. A woman could certainly pleasure another woman in a thousand ways that were sweet and all-intensive, but it took a man to do this one thing right, and Ranma was certainly that type of man that any Chinese girl could pray for in a husband! It was turning her on to no end to think of him climaxing and blowing his load inside of her loins, much as Nabiki would do when in the guise of Kaneda. That the ultimate beneficiary of the sorts of frantic facial noises and expressions she made would happen to be Ukyo, Shampoo had no complaints! This was how sex was meant to be for her with a woman on one end and a hot and horny man on the other!

Ranma was finding a kind of relief he had not dreamed of experiencing with his manhood probing the depths of the Amazon girl who was married to his wife...also his wife by the strange logic that they were employing in their peculiar arrangement. It felt so good to be inside Shampoo, a girl whose obvious sexual attractiveness he had been all-too-aware of of late. That the Amazon girl would be this accommodating in a clench was a delight that emboldened him to drive this sensuous beauty to further heights of stimulation and arousal, and if there was one thing that Ranma had learned over the past year, it was that a wise man should never disappoint a lady or leave her hanging in the lurch.

Not that Shampoo had any complaint about his technique, being the immediate beneficiary of his long and exhaustive training in the use of the Kamasenken.

Kaneda was thoroughly delighting in the way Perfume was squirming and writhing like a fish on the hook with his manhood deep and upthrusting into the depths of her womanly virtue. The Amazon was slowly grinding herself up and down on his lap, driving herself to renewed heights of sensual glory, supported by his hands, which were strategically placed on sensitive erogenous zones to insure a maximum stimulation was effected. The beautiful brown haired Enforcer was discovering her first-time sexual encounter with a man was far from the unpleasant experience that she might once have rightfully dreaded, her newly increased resistance to pain making it tolerable to be screwed in such a manner. Where once a light caress might have grated on her like sandpaper, now she was able to enjoy a little internal friction and get quite a jolt from each bounce on Kaneda's lap. For sure Kaneda had no complaints about the stimulating way in which the Chinese girl was riding him in the saddle, and the pleasurable sensations of her moist, velvety depths was enough to give him encouragement as he played with her nerve endings, making use of what he had just learned about the Kamasenken.

After all, he owed her for Perfume's part in teaching Ranma that technique in the first place!

Ranma could hear the noises emanating from Perfume above the sounds of his own rather vigorous "pelvis-slapping" against Shampoo's bottom. For all his intense concentration on pleasuring the Amazon before him, he could not help but smile in amusement at the pleasuring that the other resident Amazon was receiving, a girl in whom he had so recently come to appreciate for her remarkable...responsiveness...to say nothing of her beauty. He hoped that Kaneda would not be adverse to a little "mate-swapping" further down the line. After all, he owed so much to Perfume-chan, and it would be very rude of him not to express his gratitude in an appropriate (and now entirely permissible) manner!

And through it all Ukyo was arching her back and moaning to the ceiling, unable to take much more of the pleasuring that Shampoo was giving her through face-to-  
groin stimulation. She had already cum so many times that she was less than certain if she could manage one more tongue-induced orgasm. She wanted Ranma to hurry up and finish off the delightful purple-haired "rug-muncher" and quick so she could have a taste of his dick loins, a long-cherished fantasy that could finally be manifested. As much as she loved having sex with Perfume (and now Shampoo beyond question!) she still wanted her husband to ravish her good and proper. Magically advanced pregnancy or no, this time she would not take no for an answer! Ranma was either going to hump her like he was doing to Shampoo or she would jump his bones where he was standing, so help her Kami-sama!

Of course if she could then persuade Shampoo to sit on her face and allow Ukyo to do a little tonguing of her own, so much the better, and only fair in any event as Ukyo wanted to drink something down to quench a certain parchedness in her mouth and throat. She had a suspicions that the purple haired Amazon would taste delicious with her juices mingled with a bit of Saotome love-juice, a recipe no doubt as tasty as any okonomiyaki (heresy though this was, it did reflect the highly aroused state of mind that she was currently experiencing).

Unrecognized by all of this, a certain "fly on the wall" was observing everything and dutifully recording reams of data, joined by a fellow unit that flew in from the adjacent room. The two artificially created mini-"droids" exchanged brief flashes of data to acknowledge a mutual link-up then began to augment their data by positing themselves at flanking areas of the cabin, observing and recording everything that transpired between the five horny teenagers that comprised the marital unit. This data was then relayed to the monitoring station (a miniature rocket that had landed on the vessel earlier on the day and released these mini-probes to fulfill the mission of their designer), which in turn conveyed the accumulated data by Satellite monitoring to a certain apartment in Japan, where this data was processed and interpreted before recompiling the images and sounds into a coherent presentation.

Said presentation was then digitally recorded onto a pair of DVD players-  
recording units, filing these images away for posterity while the Mistress of all these affairs was busy with her tongue exploring the inner recesses of her wife and life-partner, who had nothing else on her mind but to climax in a most voluble manner. That said "wife" presently had nothing else on her mind but the force with which her body was about to explode with orgasm was of some importance, given that she was a superhuman with ties to both the extra-  
terrestrial and the divine, and anyone caught in the radius of the shockwave would likely be deafened but for the measures taken by her silver-haired lover to effectively restrain the explosion.

Not that anyone else in the room was of a mind to pay all that much attention, being engaged as they were with their own private dalliances.

At the present moment two very good friends were engaged in a rather strenuous project of their own, endeavoring to bring a certain Lost Boy to his first climactic orgasm. Akane was straddling the boy's loins with his cock buried deep within her pussy (in the process quite literally going where "No Man Had Cum Before," a fact that was currently driving Ryoga to several levels of distraction). Kodachi was helping to contain the Lost Boy's grunting cries of understandable excitement by pressing his face down with her pelvis, her thighs straddling his head in such a way that he had no choice but to focus his attention to the velvety pink flesh that was being presented for his oral inspection.

As Kodachi muffled his grunts and groans with her loins, she was leaning forward to muffle her own gasps of approval by pressing her lips against Akane's, sharing a kiss with her beloved friend as Akane leaned forward with her hands placed on Ryoga's muscular chest, raising and lowering her waist as she slid his rod in and out of her body. Akane groaned and meshed tongues with her dark haired best friend while humping her fiancée to further complete their pyramid-  
circuit of all-around pleasure as the three of them built their way up to a mutual three-way orgasm.

Off to one side, Keiko smiled in approval as she watched her three charges going at it with great enthusiasm, silently complimenting herself for having blocked off certain nerves in Ryoga that would normally trigger a nosebleed. The boy was cumming along just fine under the tutorage of his iinazuke and the accommodating Kodachi, Keiko's violet-eyed and sultry Mistress of Pleasures, who was giving a good account of herself in helping along Akane's future husband. Having trained both girls in the arts of pleasure, Keiko naturally felt a certain pride in seeing how well they were mastering her instructions. The boy was also proving to be as sturdy in a match of this nature as he could be in a regular fight, which suited Keiko just fine as he accustomed himself to being at the center of such a sensual three-way encounter.

The redheaded Kickboxer turned her attention back towards her own fledgling charge, Ryonami, an inexperienced girl who very much wanted to have fun, and fun was exactly what Keiko intended to share with her as she fingered the nerve endings along the brown haired girl's supple loins, stroking and fondling the girl to bring her along to a heightened state of sensual arousal. Ryonami was on her back looking up at the redhead with half-lidded, approving eyes, her body already slick with perspiration from her heightened state of arousal. Ryonami was writhing and wiggling on the floor as Keiko continued to finger her loins and play with her nipples, roving a hand up the inner thighs of the girl before bending down to plant her face over her loins, at which point Ryonami arched her back and gave a soft sigh of delighted surrender. To say the least, this girl was as tasty and horny as a virgin, which effectively was what she was, this being her first time with another girl...or anyone else but her own hands for that matter.

In a way Keiko felt very close to Ryonami, a somewhat mousy but pretty young thing, known for her fierce loyalty and devotion to Nabiki as her right-hand "numbers cruncher" and chief bet-taker of Nabiki's privately run "organization." The girl had long nursed a private crush on her beloved "Sempai" and Mentor, even knowing that she had not a prayer of coming between Nabiki and the other great loves of the Tendo girl's life. This silent passion had been plain for all to see who had an eye to take notice, and Keiko was just the sort of girl who did notice such things on the sly, making her feel sympathetic to her plight. After all, Keiko herself had nursed a mammoth crush over Nabiki, having been at one time very intimate with her childhood friend, which meant that she and Ryonami shared something in common, which therefore made them sisters-in-  
suffering the pangs of unrequited passion.

And since a "sister" could hardly leave a friend to suffer in such hopeless longing, it was only natural that Keiko satiate her friend by screwing her brains out, giving the pretty girl the benefit of her extensive training in the arts of sensual pleasure!

Ryonami had no complaints whatsoever of the other girl's technique, having yearned to have someone notice and caress her in just such a manner (for some odd reason Gosunkuji came to mind, but she immediately dismissed the thought, wondering why in the heck he would pop into her head when she was in this much of a state of arousal?). Keiko was bright, cheerful, beautiful and lively, an exciting person to be around under any circumstances, and certainly one HECK of a good lay in Ryonami's admittedly inexperienced appraisal. Finding her breath catch in her throat as she alternately moaned and gasped under the redhead's gentle-but-firm ministrations, encouraging her to go ever further as she yielded her body to whatever mischief the other girl intended. Being a gambler by her very nature, Ryonami had to rate that sex with this other girl was proving to be a fantastic return on her projected investment!

She did, of course, chance to wonder what Nabiki was up to at that moment, but knowing that her beloved Sempai was currently screwing with a man was a fairly depressing subject to reflect upon, much though she bore no grudge with Saotome. Of course it was a fairly even debate in her mind which version of her Sempai she most wanted to "spend time" with, Nabiki's womanly half or the manly and commanding presence of Kaneda. Either way she had such FANTASIES about the sort of things they might do together, and it helped to let her imagination stretch and flow as her body was stimulated to her first-ever mind-numbing orgasm.

It was at the point where everyone was on the verge of total and complete mutually assured stimulation that a light flashed on the monitor screen, and then a faint beeping noise was heard to utter from the computer speakers, registering a minor note of significant transaction. Beatrice looked up from where she held Alison on the verge of a climax and said, "That's odd...I wonder what is happening now?"

"Beiko," Alison growled between clenched teeth, "I swear if you leave off on me right now...!"

"Ah...but of course, my sweet," Beatrice smiled and returned her attention to giving Alison her much-promised send-off. When the demi-Kryptonian came, however, there was a trembling in the Earth deep below them, and then the entire building shook as Alison's body vibrated and she cried out in a deafening climax. This frantic activity was barely even noticed throughout the room as the other girls on the verge of an orgasm climaxed together with mutual force, even Keiko finding her body writhing as she tongued Ryonami and was rewarded by the sweet flavor of the other girl's sex, much as Ryoga himself was bathed in the lather of Kodachi's hot loins almost in passing. Akane arched her back as Kodachi leaned forward to seize hold of and begin to suckle one of her modest bosoms, while Ryoga found he could hold nothing back of his own and shot a hot wad up into the depths of Akane, all but fountaining the girl from within as she felt him unleash the floodgates.

Several hot, sweaty slurping noises later, Beatrice got up off the floor, unsteady on her own feet as Alison had come very near to crushing her between her thighs with that last heady spasm of her body, but then she made it over to the computer monitor and activated the screen once again, saying to herself, "Now...what seems to be the problem...?"

"Problem?" Keiko gasped from where she looked up, face slick with the juices of a panting Ryonami, "What problem?"

"I'm just in the process of finding that out," said the naked platinum-blonde genius, "Hmm...the CDs aren't full up yet, all systems check out in the green, Nabiki and Ranma-OH MY! That does look rather interesting at that...but nothing else worth special notice. I wonder what...ahah! There's an interference wave registering on my remote units. An etheric disturbance...I wonder what could be causing it? I'm not detecting any spatial anomalies in the immediate...a wait! I take that back...there is an anomaly in the immediate vicinity of the luxury liner. I see a roving patch of fog moving about five kilometers off the starboard side of the vessel...and yet there are no atmospheric conditions that would justify its existence..."

"What's that?" Keiko sat up in alarm, "Did you say...a fog bank?"

"Fog?" Kodachi looked up from where she was busy suckling Akane, "How odd...that almost sounds like..."

"Madam Lao?" Akane gasped, "You don't think...?"

"I try not to," Keiko replied, "Too much of the stuff gets you into nothing but trouble."

"Try telling Bei that," Alison gasped as her body finally stopped trembling with the aftermath of her latest orgasm, "Who's Madam Lao? That character we met at the hospital...?"

"The very same," Kodachi replied as she reluctantly got off of a slightly stunned Ryoga, bending down to kiss the boy on the cheek and pausing to lick some of her own juices off his nose, "Mmm...I do taste splendidly at that..."

"Hah?" Ryoga asked, looking either like a man who had just been run over by a truck full of creamy gel or else something considerably sweeter (to judge by the silly grin that he was wearing).

Akane decided to remain exactly where she was, not wanting to surrender Ryoga's cock now that she had finally captured it within her body, "Madam Lao's one of the most dangerous enemies that Oneechan has ever faced. She's a former Amazon who's turned into a high seas Pirate, only she likes to enslave young girls and turn them into sex slaves."

"A White Slaver you mean," Beatrice considered as she studied the monitor screen and its satellite display, "That does sound rather ominous in light of the fact that this fog bank appears to be trailing behind the larger vessel like a shadow on the edge of the horizon. I take it that the fog is concealing some manner of a sailing ship, but I can't get any readings off these primitive sensors to confirm this."

"You won't find anything," Keiko replied, "Her ship is magically shielded against everything from radar to sonar...like it's partially here but also in another dimension. I've spent several years on board the POJ learning as much about it as anyone but the Mistress herself, it's almost like a second home to me, so I know how hard it is to track by technological means."

"You lived there?" Alison looked up, "What did you just call her? Your Mistress?"

"I was a slave under her guidance," Keiko affirmed, "Kodachi can back me up on this. Madam Lao isn't evil, but she's as mischievous as they come, and if she sets her sights on you, you can bet she'll go to great lengths to trap her prey, which in this case..."

"Could mean Nabiki," Kodachi concluded for her, "Do you think she intends to try?"

"Try what?" Ryonami asked as she sat upright, "You think she wants to kidnap Sempai?"

"Kidnap her?" Alison asked, "She can do that?"

"You don't know Lao," Akane sighed, "There's not much that she won't do if she has a mind to."

"Lao?" Ryoga blinked his eyes and started to sit upright, only to be pushed back to the floor by Akane, "Is Lao after Nabiki and the others?"

"That is certainly conceivable," Beatrice remarked, "A high-seas hijacking is far from out of the question...rather a bit more high-profile than what one would expect of a modern day pirate. On the other hand, a white Slaver might view a luxury ship such as this as a high-stakes target-rich environment..."

Keiko shook her head and said, "I don't think so. The Mistress is many things, but I doubt she would deliberately go after Nab-chan in such a high-handed manner. For one thing, her husband wouldn't like it."

"Her husband?" Beatrice asked.

"Frank," Akane replied, "You've met him already...big guy, dresses like a biker..."

"Oh," Alison replied, "Him."

"Ah yes," Beatrice mused, "I remember him well...a curious fellow indeed. Yes, I can see how he might intimidate even as bold a pirate as you say your former Mistress is. I remember Nabiki mentioning something about how this Madam Lao operates under a code that only she may understand, but one that condones practices that the rest of us might find...highly questionable, ethically speaking. However...now that is odd..."

"What now?" Ryonami asked.

"I'm detecting a second vessel trailing in the shadow of the fog bank," Beatrice replied, "A submarine, to be exact...too small to be a Nuclear carrier, possibly more like an attack sub, if I may hazard a guess from this vague, shadowy outline."

"A submarine?" Keiko got up and stood beside the silver-haired genius, "There's a submarine chasing after the Mistress? Uh oh..."

"Uh oh what?" Alison asked from where she still lay upon the floor.

"Madam Lao has many enemies," Kodachi revealed, "Even I learned that much during my time aboard the Piece of Junk-Madam Lao's ancient, magical sailing ship. Enemies that would not wish her well if they had the power to effect her harm in some manner."

"There's one guy I know who uses subs who I wouldn't want to cross paths with," Keiko sounded faintly nervous, "Not that the Mistress is without her resources, but if she doesn't know that she's being tailed..."

"It could mean trouble, right?" Ryonami asked.

"I'd count on it if Oneechan gets involved," Akane said, "We've got to warn them somehow...get a message to them right away..."

"I'm in total agreement with you," Beatrice remarked, "But my probes are strictly one-way, not designed to convey messages. I could try reaching Nabiki through her cellular phone pager, but...at the moment I don't think she is of a mind to pay much attention."

"Hmm..." Keiko considered the point then said, "Not Nabiki, then, but I know someone who ought to know about this. Do you have a phone I can borrow for a minute?"

"Yes," Beatrice picked up the receiver that was stationed beside the phone, "Is it long distance?"

"Sort of," Keiko replied as she accepted the phone and began dialing a certain memorized number, "But I know the party in question will accept a collect charge. It's an emergency call line, and I just hope that it's in time to make a critical difference..."

And-mere seconds later-a certain phone rang on the deck of a certain vessel, and a pale slender blue hand reached out to accept it, holding the speaker up near enough to a shell-like pointed ear as a somewhat unearthly voice said, "Yes, may I help you? Oh, Keiko-san...no...the Mistress is otherwise occupied...you wish to report what? OH...oh yes, I see! I will convey your message to her immediately. Understood. Please hold and await the Mistress."

So saying the speaker set down the phone, and then her body melted away into a puddle of water, which flowed through the cracks in the floor and seeped on down through several decks and levels until arriving at the correct one, upon which point the blue woman's body resolidified and resumed a human shape. She then approached a particular chamber and lightly rapped upon the door, then paused before saying, "Mistress?"

"Yes," a voice from inside the room replied, "You may enter."

The blue skinned woman passed through the wall and reformed once again on the other side, then fell to one knee and said, "There is a call for you, Mistress...it is Arigami-san, she wishes to speak with you."

"Kei-chan is calling?" Lao brightened up considerably as she sat up on her human chair, "How wonderful...I wonder why? I gave her that number to call in emergencies, but I sense that she is not presently in any real danger."

"She did not say, Mistress," the blue skinned woman replied, "But I sensed that her concerns were urgent."

"Then I must go to the phone at once," Lao replied as she started to get up out of her "chair," only to pause as Lotus waved a hand to draw her attention.

"Mistress...look!" Lotus urged.

"Eh?" Lao turned back to the projected image, and then her eyes widened considerably, "Oh my...Saotome...?"

Ranma was satisfied that he was finally getting the benefits of an open marriage, having four (well, three at the moment) really hot babes raring to go and aching to please him. At the moment Perfume was keeping Kaneda occupied, leaving Ranma free to satisfy Shampoo and Ukyo, and satisfy them he did, first shooting a load into the Amazon's moist depths then rocking his way to a conclusion without passing out from his own exertions.

The momentary flaccidness that resulted from his third "shot" of the day was not enough of a reason to let up on Shampoo, who seemed to have taken his seed without herself climaxing. Not wanting to leave even one of his brides feeling less than fully satisfied, he played around with her nerve endings until he found the right combination needed to bring her off, which he did with great delight and abandon.

The sounds of muffled delight that emanated throughout Shampoo's whole body was adequate testament to the effectiveness of his technique. Shampoo seemed to slump for a moment, as though her body had become like jelly, and Ranma decided to give her a break in order to regain her "second wind," which meant that he would have to turn the rest of his energies towards pleasing the other girl, a fact Ukyo seemed to register as her half-lidded eyes opened wide to take notice of his presence.

Ranma gently laid the purple haired beauty to the side in order to clear the way between Ukyo's parted thighs, and since it was obvious that his other newly declared bride was already wet and very well lubricated, he scrunched up with his pelvis poised at the gate to her loins and said, "Mind if I cut in, Ucchan?"

He was rewarded by seeing the Okonomiyaki chef grin wide like a hungry cat, and then she purred in a sensual voice, "What took you so long, Ranchan? I've been waiting..."

"Oh yeah," Ranma smiled somewhat at the irony of that statement, then plied his fingers at her pink opening and said, "Hope you're ready down there...I've been waiting to do this for almost as long as you have, Ucchan."

"Flatterer," Ukyo replied with a mild reproof in her expression, but then she grew serious and said, "It doesn't matter to you...that I'm so fat...does it?"

"Fat?" Ranma put the palm of one hand over her swollen abdomen, "You're not fat, you're just having a baby. It doesn't...bother you that I want to...?"

In response to this question, Ukyo slipped her legs around and encircled Ranma, drawing him closer into her embrace, which ironically caused his manhood to flare back up to life, especially when she throatily purred, "What do you think, Mister? Or should I say...husband?"

He grinned back at the implied challenge in her stare and said, "Well then, I guess you asked for this...wife!"

And with that he began to work the head of his revived male organ up against the opening, pushing it in a short way to begin exploring her depths, then plunging all the way into the pregnant girl as Ukyo heaved a sigh and accepted him with contentment.

And...to one side, laying on the floor and drawing deep breaths to regain her bearings, Shampoo gave a kittenish smile, pleased on seeing her husband assume his proper role as a husband, and plotting how she could further cut into their action, possibly to give Ukyo a taste of her own loins, once she felt her strength restore itself to normal.

Kaneda was himself quite pleased on seeing Ranma go to work upon their other co-  
wife, seeing Ukyo be treated to some of the same skillful measures that had been used against his own female form, which gave him some idea of the effectiveness of those ministrations.

Meanwhile he had his own task at hand, which was more than worth pursuing. Perfume was proving to be quite a handful of delight the way her overly responsive body reacted to the lightest caress as he stroked and fondled her firm-yet-well-padded body, admiring how soft and smooth she felt to the touch, and how much delight he was having sinking his manhood into her loins over and over again.

And so it went for several long minutes until at last Perfume gave a cry and climaxed violently in her hands. Kaneda found himself holding on to a literal wildcat as the Enforcer's body shook and spasmed with orgasm after orgasm. It truly was amazing how lively the brown haired girl was when held in the arms of one who knew how to explore the anatomy of the female body. Kaneda had an intimate understanding of female sex that was beyond the ken of most men, and so had a good sense of what would work and what would not as he played with the bounteous beauty and possessed her, surprised at his own enthusiasm as he plied her trough like there was no tomorrow!

Unknown to Kaneda, however, Ranma had just given Ukyo a wonderful climax of her own, said climax not being accompanied by his own satiation since he had not yet recovered sufficiently to produce a decent amount of jism. He retained a hard-  
on even as Ukyo slumped upon the floor and drew a slow and even breath that signified that she had momentarily lost consciousness, her climax being the last straw on top of Shampoo's onslaught to drive her beyond the edge of human endurance.

Seeing her sleep peacefully on the floor, he was loathe to disturb her again, but he still had a raging hard on to master, which caused him to eye Shampoo, who was smiling back at him with a very kittenish expression.

"Ranma want play with Shampoo?" the purple haired girl sensually purred, "Shampoo is ready."

Ranma returned that smile, but then a sound from Perfume's lips drew his attention back to their other companions. A thought occurred to him and he paused a moment to consider his options, then smiled at Shampoo and said, "I got a better idea...think you can get Nabiki's attention?"

"Aiyaa?" Shampoo was surprised by the question, but she sensed that Ranma had something clever in mind, and since it involved pleasuring her "other" husband, she was more than willing to go along with the ploy, ESPECIALLY since the sounds Perfume was making were turning her on and rekindling her desire to screw her cousin.

So, having decided her next course of action, Shampoo crawled across the floor like a stalking cat and circled around from behind Kaneda, immediately drawing his attention though she instead passed him up and brought her face down to kiss Perfume upon her forehead.

"Cousin still want to play?" Shampoo eyed, giving a coy look at Ranma, "Airen want two Amazons for price of one?"

"Is that a trick question?" Kaneda said, moving somewhat to the side to allow the Amazon to crawl on top of and partially straddle a round-eyed Perfume-chan.

Ranma watched where he was while he fingered his male organ, taking several deep breaths as he watched Kaneda go to work on the other two girls, studying the technique that Kaneda was using while he made a point of admiring the other boy's very well-toned profile. He turned away for a moment and took a deep breath before murmuring softly, "There's nothing wrong, everything's all right, just take your time and wait for the right moment..."

He hoped that he was about to do the right thing. It was an experiment, to be certain, but the lingering guilt that he had been feeling for the better part of an hour was flagellating his ego. All the time he had been at work on Shampoo the thought had been in his head that he was both a hypocrite and a coward, that he was letting himself fret over nothing, and that it really was a case of harboring a double-standard, something that felt so very WRONG at such an early phase of their marriage.

"It's just Nabiki," he murmured to himself, carefully keeping her image in his mind as he turned back and saw "Kaneda" poised over the wide-spread legs of Shampoo, who had taken Perfume's place on the floor while her cousin now spread her own legs and proceeded to sit down on the face of her amorous cousin. Kaneda's backside was turned towards Ranma, who was attempting to summon up his courage as he prepared to do the totally unexpected. He just hoped Nabiki would understand and forgive him, just in case this REALLY DID make a difference because of her current sex, but Ranma would not stand for letting himself to called a coward. He knew what he had to do at this point, and it with his nerves all a jumble and his stomach fluttering in protest, he began to move forward, hoping that Kaneda would not have a clue as to what was about to happen...

...Which was the point where Lotus called Madam Lao's attention back the screen, just in time for the pale sea-green haired lady Pirate to stand fully erect and pay full attention. Meanwhile back at the apartment of Beatrice and Alison the rest of the crew saw Ranma prepare to do the unthinkable as he worked his way directly behind the other man and-hesitating for only a moment-made his move to run his hands against the bare bottom of Kaneda!

"Aiyaa..." Madam Lao said with rounded eyes, even as Beatrice was herself saying, "Oh my..."

"Saotome..." Keiko sounded both awed and impressed.

"What the hell?" Akane was dismayed by what she was seeing.

"What is Ranma...?" Ryoga stopped himself and swallowed, "On second thought...I don't think I want to know..."

"Oh my indeed," Kodachi remarked, "And to think, I never even suspected..."

"I don't believe it," said Alison, who had gotten up off the floor in order to get a good look past the shoulders of the other, "Is he doing what I think he's doing...?"

"Sure looks like it to me," Ryonami said in awe, "And I never would have given odds on something like this happening..."

These mingled reactions paled to insignificance next to Kaneda's own reaction as he discovered that Ranma was not only behind him but seemed to be playing with his body, as though Kaneda was presently female, "Wh-Ranma? What...?"

"Take it easy," Ranma said, "I just wanna...do this right...no complaints, okay?"

"But...OH MY!" Kaneda gasped as he felt something probing at the gateway to his sphincter...

"I don't believe that boy," Madam Lao said with a tone of almost reverent admiration, "More and more he just keeps right on surprising me. And I think Nabiki is about to find out just how flexible he is...and herself for that matter."

"I would never in a million years have credited such a thing, Mistress," Blossom said with an expression of disbelief on her own lovely face.

"Ew," Lotus winced, "That's going to hurt...for a bit..."

"Only for a little while, I suspect..." Madam Lao began to say when the ship underneath them suddenly shook violently, "Say-what?"

"My lady," the blue skinned girl spoke up, "I sense...the Kraken is disturbed..."

"I feel it too," Lao reluctantly turned away from the spectacle being projected against one wall and said, "There's no time to dilly-dally, take me to the bridge at once, Natalia."

"As you wish, Mistress," the elemental replied, her body dissolving at once into a fountain of water, then forming a globe in the air that had a mirror-like surface.

Without hesitation the self-described Pirate Queen plunged through the mirror surface and emerged several dozen floors up on the bridge as yet another blue-  
skinned girl reformed herself in place of a second mirror. Not sparing a moment to take stock of her surroundings, Lao turned to the Pilot at the helm and said, "Report!"

"Mistress?" said a uniformed woman dressed in the manner of a naval officer of no particular nationality whatsoever, "We don't know...there's something on the sonar directly behind us, bearing Oh-One-Mark-Eight...we're having it checked out even as we speak..."

"Indeed," Lao swept her gaze towards the seas in the indicated direction, peering past the windows and wood of the cabin space as though she could see the ocean directly behind them, then frowned as she said, "A submarine...an attack submarine...and they've already fired torpedoes our way."

"Taking evasive action, Sir!" said the woman at the wheel of the helm, turning sharply to the left as the huge sailing vessel lurched violently starboard.

"Don't bother," another officer said from where she sat behind a sonar array, "Those torpedoes weren't very well aimed. I think they must have trouble finding our bearings. I think they're shooting blind at us, trying to nail us by luck..."

"Cavitation noises confirm this, Captain," the other operator beside her noted, "They're going to miss us by around a hundred meters. That first torpedo was a lucky fluke that hit the Kraken and bounced off instead of striking us. Just made him angry, I'm guessing, because he's not making noises like he would if he were in pain, but he's definitely not happy!"

"I see," Lao shifted her attention to the area directly below them then said, "I certainly concur that he is angry, and he's not the only one. That submarine...whoever is in it and has fired on my ship, is as good as dead."

And with that she made a single gesture, releasing the Kraken from its stationary position directly below the vessel...

"" said the captain of said Submarine, which was of Korean origins but piloted by a mercenary crew in his employ, "Can't you hit something that's only a thousand meters away? What range are you setting your torpedoes at? We should have sunk her with the first volley!"

"Sorry, Captain," reported the lieutenant at the helm, "The crew is still getting used to reading these instruments. It might have helped if we had taken more time to shake this tub down after we hijacked it from the North Koreans. Too bad we didn't leave one of the original crew alive...I didn't ask for excuses," Captain Johan Helgar declared, "I want results! If you don't get more fish into the water and score a hit against the Madam, then we're all dead men! Now, set those torpedoes for five hundred-yards and reload! We need to sink that accursed ship before they can retaliate do you understand me?" his lieutenant turned and snapped, "Set for five hundred yards and reload torpedoes! And make it snappy, Gentlemen, or we're going to be facing the wrath of the Madam!"

Helgar ground his molars together and fretted over the oversight that could well lead to their deaths, having been himself too cocky in shooting off those "fish" before he was ready. Having stumbled across the path of the woman he most hated in all the world had seemed like the blessings of God smiling down upon him, but if he could not get one good hit off-and soon-that smile was likely to prove to be the grin of the devil calling him to Hades.

It was not that the man feared death, having long ago resolved himself to whatever fiery fate would await men of his ill-starred profession. The sins of his lifetime were of more concern to a priest more than to himself, Helgar never having concerned himself with matters of the spirit. A former Stazi officer and contract mercenary could hardly claim the favor or the blessings of God with the list of crimes he had on his metaphorical conscience. A balding forty-year-old man with one good eye and leg to his credit did not earn that many friends in his profession, nor did he look forward to an early retirement with some comfy chateau overlooking the Rhine. For him there was only the grim business of fulfilling the whims of his employer, and one could hardly afford to settle personal grudges or hurt pride just because he saw a chance at nailing the one who had caused him so much grief during one of his less prosperous encounters.

The Madam, as he preferred to call her, was a Whore and a Harlot and a thousand evil things that he could describe at great length if given the inclination. Her sordid business was more a source of amusement than concern to Helgar, but when the fates had caused their paths to cross two years back, it had been very near to the last mission he had survived to tell about. The accursed meddling witch had caused him to lose face before an employer, and left him so badly injured that he would never again be able to dance with a maiden or shake hands with himself. The hook that had replaced a hand was her legacy, and her laughter yet echoed in his dreams and darkest nightmares.

The self-styled pirate had to die, and if the fates were kind, Helgar would have gladly been the one to personally see to it that her skin was flayed from her hide and her head be mounted on his mantle. Revenge was one of the few reasons that he was still alive, and now he had the chance of a lifetime to pay her back by sinking that infernal barge that she valued so highly. It had not been his original mission, nor could he really afford to be taking the time away from the real purpose for stealing this Submarine from under the nose of the Koreans. They were taking it to an island in the south pacific for a rendezvous with his current employer, the infamous Doctor Klaw, so taking the time out of his trip to fire off a few harpoons at his "Great White Whale" was purely selfish indulgence and thoroughly unprofessional on his part. It was a childish whim, nothing more nor less, and yet there had been such satisfaction in calling out the order for the torpedoes to be fired.

Only the low-rent crew he had commissioned for this particular assignment had never been on a Korean sub before, and so they had only a slight idea of how the equipment worked when contrasted with a Soviet or German-made sub. That had seemed a competent enough level of ability for the mission of sailing to Klaw's island, but now, in a real crisis, their lack of expertise was proving to be costly!

"How long until those torpedoes are ready?" he barked, not wanting to let the crew know exactly how nervous he really was. If even half of what he had heard about Lao's ship were true...

"Torpedo room reports that they are ready and have already loaded them for launch, Sir," his lieutenant reported, "Ready to fire on your mark..." the sonar man reported, "I have movement in the water...not a torpedo...it...I don't know what it is, but it's coming right at us!" Helgar asked, peering into the periscope and seeing nothing but the roiling seas between their sub and the fog bank, but then he saw the sea rising up like a wave and cried, "HARD ABOUT! RIGHT FULL RUDDER!"

Even as he called the order he realized that he was too late and they were as good as dead, because the next moment something seized their boat like the arms of something tremendous, shaking them as a dog might shake a bone and all but lifting them out of the water...

A thousand meters away Lao stared from the bridge of her ship with eyes that were glowing and inhuman, her awareness focused upon the Kraken and its tendrils, which wrapped around the sub like the claws of doom, sealing the fate of the occupants as if Neptune himself had decreed what was to happen.

"Goodbye," she said, and made a gesture with both hands as though she were twisting a wash cloth.

What happened to the submarine and its crew is better off not being recorded.

Lao relaxed as she felt the deed be done, then turned to her crew and said, "Damage report?"

"None worth mentioning, Mistress," said the woman at the Helm, "As reported before, the torpedo impacted against the Kraken but did not detonate, no doubt because they set the arming range too far away for it to be effective..."

"SIR!" the Sonar operator called out, "One of those fish that they fired off is still in the water...the others are going off in wild directions, but this one is headed straight at the cruise ship!"

"WHAT?" Lao whirled around with a dismayed expression.

"Copy that, Sir," the operator beside the first reported, "It's got a lock on the propeller cavitation, it must be homing in on the first object that conforms to its pre-programmed designation of a target, and it's going to hit just below the bow in another ten seconds."

"What?" Lao said, her face now a mask of horror, "Nabiki...my cousins..."

"Can we do anything to stop it, Mistress?" the Helmswoman asked, "Can you deflect its course, or change the flow of the water..."

"Too late for that," the Sonar woman said, "It's beyond the Mistress's range of focus..." she paused and said, "Impact in two seconds!"

"No!" Lao exclaimed, then a much louder, "NOOO!"

One second later they heard the distant sound of an explosion...

In the cabin shared by the Saotome/Tendo clan there was not even a slight register at the shaking vibration that traveled up the length of the ship, punching a hole in its bow large enough to flood the engine room and certain other of the holds, catching the crew off-guard as no one would have reasonably expected an attack of such magnitude to visit them in the open seas, far from anyone's borders.

For the rest of the ship the explosion that hit below the water line was just a thumping noise, hardly more than a curiosity at first until the ship began listing to the side, the extent of the damage being far greater than any on board could imagine. It was fortuitous that the warhead had struck them at a slight angle with the force partially deflected out into the sea, because a full force attack with the high explosives packed in the tip could have done extensively more damage had it hit a little more to the side where the fuel lines would have ruptured, insuring a far more devastating explosion.

From where she stood, Lao could tell the extent of the damage and knew that the ship would not survive more than a few more minutes above water. She hastily calculated the likely crew compliment and number of passengers and estimated the likely casualty tolls of a ship going down as rapidly as this one was likely to do, and immediately snapped out the orders, "EVERYONE INTO THE WATER! I want every Undine on this ship! Helm, steer a course to bring us alongside that ship and effect emergency rescue procedures! I'm recalling the Kraken...move it, people! Lives will be lost if we don't act at once!"

Her crew sprang into action like the well-honed machine that they were, none bothering to questioning why their fearsome Pirate captain was acting in such a benevolent manner. Some assumed that it was as much opportunism as benevolence, but whatever the reasoning they uniformly agreed that something had to be done, and by the universal Law of the Sea they had an obligation to save the lives of those who were shipwrecked. Pirates though they were, they still observed that ancient maritime duty, and as such could put the rest off until much later.

It was that "later" that would prove to be on great concern to Nabiki and her marital circle, but Lao was saving that for after they were rescued. After all, not even her indomitable husband could hold it against her if she took advantage of an unfortunate (if highly convenient) situation...

Continued.

Comments/Criticisms/Floating Lost Island Realty Service: shadowmane

Will Ranma and Nabiki find themselves remaking the Cameron version of Titanic, or will they fall prey to their diabolical rescuer, who wants to re-write her own version of that script? Will Beatrice and Alison be forced to lead a mission to rescue them from their reputed rescuers, or will Lao leave Keiko on permanent hold? Find out the answer to this and many other pointless questions in: "Voyage of the Naughty Lass," or "Twenty Thousand Leaks Under the Sea!" Be there!

X

If you wish to check out my other works, Please check out my Fanfiction webpage at: . All related chapters of this series can be found there along with my other works.

/pre 


	4. Chapter 4

preDNabikiTHC4

Nabiki 1/2

"A Very Scary Thought!"

THE HENTAI CHAPTER!

By Jim Robert Bader

(Inspired by the works of Rumiko Takahashi,  
as well as those creative pioneers, Seigal and Shuster)

Part Four.

WARNING-HENTAI ALERT-LEMON-LIME PLEDGE CHAPTER!  
CONTAINS SCENES OF IMPLIED GRAPHIC SEXUALITY WITH SITUATIONS SUITABLE TO A CHEAP BONDAGE NOVEL. IF YOU HAVE PROBLEMS WITH CONSENSUAL AND NON-CONSENSUAL SCENES INVOLVING NAKED YOUNG PEOPLE AGES 17+ INVOLVED WITH BISEXUAL AND SM THEMES REGARDING MEMBERS OF THE SAME AND OPPOSITE SEX, TURN AROUND AND LEAVE AT ONCE!  
THIS IS NOT A SERIES FOR THE FAINT OF LEMON-HEARTED!  
YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED!

Nabiki fluttered her eyelashes and slowly came to an awareness of herself laying on a bed with the sheet covers removed. The fact that she was naked was the next thing that occurred to her slowly awakening mind...the third thing she took notice of was that she was having difficulty moving, which by her lights was certainly NOT a good thing!

That brought her to full and abrupt awareness of herself, at which point she found that she was in a lushly furnished room, adorned with tasteful and sumptuous examples of wealth and property, and that the reason she could hardly move a muscle was because her wrists and ankles were being restrained, and there were chains criss-crossing over her body.

A second more of reflection, and the scent of a familiar perfume, drew one unmistakable conclusion in Nabiki's mind, which caused her face to crease with a frown as she tested the strength of her bonds and snarled, "Laaaoooo...!"

"Ah, I see that you are awake."

Nabiki moved her head to gaze past the length of her naked form, and there-  
framed between the valley formed by her breasts-was the familiar smiling face of the sea-green haired lady Pirate. Nabiki tensed her body but found her bonds were unyielding, leaving her to snarl impotently at the leering Slaver, "What the hell did you do to me and the others?"

"By others I take it to mean that you are referring to your loved ones, your husband and my two cousins, and your mutual bride, Kuonji?" Lao replied, "They are quite safe, I assure you, and so is your darling infant daughter."

"What's the meaning of this, Lao?" Nabiki demanded, "Did you kidnap us off our ship? What did you do with the crew and the rest of the passengers? What the hell are you doing with us...?"

The soft chuckling of the expatriot Amazon brought a halt to her demands, forcing Nabiki to eye her arch nemesis with something on the level of impotent fury.

"I just knew you would be waking up in such a poor state of humor," Lao shook her head as if having expected such an outburst, "That's why I decided to insure that you would be immobile when you woke up, the better to insure that you did not get too much out of line before I had a chance to explain to you the truth of your position."

"What truth of my position?" Nabiki frowned, "I thought you swore you'd never come after us again..."

"I did indeed," Lao replied, "But circumstances have...shall we say...altered the situation. And-considering how far along you have progressed in your training under my great-grandmother-I thought you might resort to hasty and imprudent action before hearing all of the facts."

"What facts?" Nabiki frowned, struggling once again against her restraints.

"I am not the villain this time around," Lao answered, "In fact I saved your life...and the lives of those you hold closest to you."

"Explain that one," Nabiki growled.

"Gladly," Lao replied, taking a slow, leisurely stride around the bed, all the while admiring the profile of the helpless girl before her, "It may surprise you to learn that I am not always prone to misbehaving on the high seas...in fact I can be quite benevolent, when the mood suits me. It just so happens that I have been watching you and your family from a distance for quite some time now...and that was how I learned about your finally tying the knot with your husband...congratulations on that, by the way, and well matched indeed the both of you."

"Thanks," said Nabiki without much warmth in her expression.

"You are welcome," the lady Pirate leered, "And I suppose it also does not surprise you very much to know that I was watching your little performance in the bed chamber when your husband experienced a certain...surprise, shall we say? I was-to say the least-most impressed at the way he adjusted to your sudden transformation."

Nabiki's eyes widened, "It was YOU who did that to me, wasn't it? You splashed me to turn me into my guy form..."

"Guilty," Lao raised her hand, "I yielded to temptation, I will admit...I wanted to see if his regard for you was as strong as it was when he was performing with your female half. Imagine my surprise when he not only accepted your change but even made a valiant attempt to mount you in your masculine ass."

Nabiki had a brief flash of memory, of being surprised by Ranma while she-or rather Kaneda-was busy plunging his manhood deep into Shampoo's love canal. The shock of realizing that Ranma was attempting to perform anal sex with her masculine half was momentary as she found herself-um-himself adjusting to accommodate the presence of his male organ. It was astonishing that Ranma would even attempt such a thing in the light of his previously stated unease on the subject of Yaoi behavior, but once the shock wore off Kaneda had experienced a rare and unexpected flood of warmth and unanticipated pleasure...

Nabiki hastily closed off on that memory, trying to compose her face into a studied mask of stoical indifference (the rosy flush of her cheeks did rather spoil the effect though, as Lao's knowing smirk gave ample testament). With a growl of renewed fury she said, "You had no right to spy on us like that..."

"You're probably right about that," Lao shrugged, "But I've always been a bit of a voyeur at heart, so sue me."

"So you saw us making out and decided to kidnap us..." Nabiki began to declare, only to see Lao wave a hand of dismissal.

"Are you telling this story or am I?" Lao said indulgently, "I'm telling you what I did that was-by your standards-of morally questionable behavior so you can believe me when I say that I am not at fault for interrupting your party. The one you should blame instead is...this..." she held up a naval officer's cap that she balanced on one finger.

"What...that?" Nabiki frowned, "I don't..."

"This," Lao said dramatically, "Is all that is left of a former associate of mine...a mercenary who used to be in the employ of the Easter German Intelligence services who went by the name of Captain Helgar. He and I...well...I won't speak ill of the dead, but let's just say that we had radically different views on the subject of White Slavery, among other assorted subjects. Apparently he gained possession of a former Korean submarine and attempted to use it on my ship while the POJ was sailing near to your own cruise liner. I was not intending to directly approach nor involve you in any of my private affairs, but the late Captain apparently had other ideas, such as firing the torpedo that struck your vessel."

"A torpedo?" Nabiki blinked, "You've got to be kidding!"

"I'm afraid not," Lao said with surprising sobriety in her expression, "Helgar was a great fool who obviously did not know what he was about, or he would have known that my ship produces a very different kind of oceanic signature than the sort of vessel that a North Korean-supplied torpedo was designed to intercept. It homed in on the propeller noises of the liner and detonated very low astern, beneath the water line. It was by some minor miracle that it did not break the ship's keel, which would have sunk it much, much quicker than the hole that was created. Needless to say, the Captain and crew of your ship were taken aback by what had happened and were hard-pressed to cope with the emergency that resulted."

"Emergency?" Nabiki fought to recall her last memories before losing consciousness, having been very much in a clench with the rest of her loved ones when the room had seemed to shake beneath their writhing bodies, a fact barely registered in the midst of so much frantic activity on their part, though she did dimly recall hitting her head against a table moments later...

"You were unconscious when my people found you and the others," Lao explained, "They brought you here, as per my instructions, while the rest of my crew did what they could for the others..."

"And what happened to this Helgar creep?" Nabiki frowned, "Or do I need to ask?"

"What do you think happened?" Lao said coldly, "A man who tries to destroy my ship risks the lives of my crew and family, to say nothing of my cargo, which is why I do not take such a thing lightly and respond in kind...but that is not what you really want to ask, is it? You're wondering how I came to be entertaining you aboard my ship, yes?"

"Don't tell me you rescued us?" Nabiki asked skeptically.

"I most certainly did," Lao replied, "My crew and I are well skilled and trained in such things as fishing refugees out of the ocean...and the captain of your vessel was in something of a spot, trying to get as many panicky passengers as he could to the lifeboats. When my ship pulled up alongside his it was like a virtual godsend, and so I graciously agreed to take aboard as many refugees as I could hold-which you already know would amount to the entire passenger roster, with plenty of room to host many more, had I so chosen."

"You kidnapped an entire ship full of people?" Nabiki was dismayed at the prospect.

"Nothing of the sort," Lao replied, "I am an honorable Pirate, no matter what else you may think of me, and besides, taking on that many prisoners at once would be far too taxing. Rather they are my guests and will be treated with great respect and attention to their every need until I can find some accommodating harbor that will offer them shelter. Approximately seventeen hundred extra people now reside upon the POJ, most of them tourists with their families, hardly suitable material for induction into the arts of pleasure."

"Why don't I believe you?" Nabiki growled.

"Because you are a cynic," Lao replied, "And trusting people doesn't come easy for you in even the best of circumstances. When it comes to me, well...your confidence is not exactly overflowing."

"So why should I believe you?" Nabiki asked, "Out of a whole shipload of people, you couldn't find anyone who you thought might make a likely candidate for your form of treatment?"

"Weeeellll..." Lao hesitated before conceding, "I did run a few...tests...just to determine for my own curiosity...and fifty-three potential candidates did turn up in my survey...and what is fifty three out of seventeen hundred? If my people had not acted as much as half that number would have drowned at sea, so what would be the problem?"

"If you have to ask," Nabiki replied, "Then you'll never understand."

"Fair enough," Lao conceded, "I won't argue the particulars with you, but I will expect you to mind your manners while you're a guest on board my ship. I won't abide having any trouble from either you or your loved ones, or else I'll reconsider your parole and do something you'll probably regret later."

"Parole?" Nabiki blurted, "What do you mean parole?"

"I mean that you're not really my prisoner on this trip," Lao replied, looming over Nabiki with undisguised interest in her expression, her eyes roving over the younger girl's naked body with an unmistakably hungry expression, "You're a guest, nothing more nor less, but that could change if you give me any reason to change my mind on the subject. Now...are you ready to pay a visit to your loved ones?"

"Ready?" Nabiki repeated, "Of course I'm ready, but..."

The Pirate queen snapped her fingers and all at once the chains binding Nabiki to the bed dissolved into water. Much to Nabiki's surprise this water rolled off of her skin without actually getting her wet, and so her curse was not triggered, much to her own astonishment.

"Oh, and before you think to test out your new abilities against me," Lao smiled, "Keep in mind that I trained under the same instructor that you've had for the past few months, only I've about ten years more practice in such arts as the Shadowskills, and you wouldn't last two minutes against me."

"Oh, you think so?" Nabiki asked as she sat upright, never taking her eyes off her prospective opponent, "Funny...I seem to remember it was your furry ass that got kicked (among other things) the last time we went up against each other..."

"And I seem to remember that it was the combination of my underestimating you while you reverted to the Nekoken, then employed the Hiryu Shoten Ha when I let my guard down," Lao countered, "I assure you that I will neither underestimate you nor lower my guard should you decide to challenge me within the very center of my own power. On board this ship I am the next best thing to invincible, and you would do well to remember this as long as you are within range of my Storm skills. Do I make myself clear enough with you, young lady?"

"Clear enough...old timer," Nabiki glared as she got to her feet and stared at her own nudity, then said, "Would it be asking too much if you gave me something to wear?"

"What's wrong with what you have now?" Lao smiled, "It's what you had on when my Undines rescued you and the others. Besides, you're going to pay a visit to my Harem, and there the dress code is strictly nude-only, no exceptions."

"Terrific," Nabiki growled, "So I'm a guest in a Nudist colony with you as the headmaster, only you're not exactly dressed down to the skins yourself. Double-  
standard?"

"Not really," Lao smiled and turned her palms upward, all at once her clothing falling away like a shower rolling off the back of a duck, leaving only the woman herself smiling down at Nabiki, "I just thought a small illusion might set you at ease. If I'd appeared to you first as I am now, how would you have reacted?"

Nabiki frowned but replied, "Good point. So...why are we going to your Harem anyway?"

"That's where your family is," Lao smiled, "Including your husband."

Nabiki's eyes got very round, "You left Ranma in a room full of naked women?"

"Oh, there's nothing wrong with that," Lao replied, "Shampoo and Perfume are with him, helping him to attend to Ukyo."

"Attend to Ukyo?" Nabiki said, "What's wrong with her?"

"Nothing is wrong with her," Lao replied, "She's a splendid girl a real tribute to your country, worthy of being an Amazon herself, if you want my rather biased opinion on the subject. It's just that...well...with all the excitement that she's been experiencing in the day, she has kind of...gone into labor and is having her baby."

"WHAT?" Nabiki blurted out, "Since when?"

"Since about fifteen minutes ago, right before I decided to wake you," Lao replied, "Nothing to be worried about, I have the best midwives around, and plenty of successfully delivered children to assure you that the best is being done for her, and I foresee no complications nor problems."

"I want to see her right away!" Nabiki glared up at the taller woman, "Now."

"But of course," Lao moved to the side and indicated the door to the chamber, "I wouldn't think to detain you. Of course you also might have trouble finding your way without my assistance, so..."

Nabiki made a rude noise and rolled her eyes as she stormed on past the lady Pirate, heading towards the corridor while silently wondering what crime against the fates she had performed to be trapped up in such an impossible situation. The fact that Lao was not disguising the way that she eyed Nabiki's sleek form in no way improved her mood, nor put to rest the alarm bells that were sounding in the back of her head as the lady walked at the side of the Tiger, dreading to think over the possible implications...

"I see," Keiko remarked, "All right, I understand. Have her call me as soon as she has the time, will you, Natalia-chan?"

She paused before saying her good-byes, then hung up the phone and said to her waiting companions, "They're all right, they've been rescued, along with nearly all of the passengers and they're now on board the POJ as guests of Mistress Lao, who assures me that they will be well treated and cared for."

"Well treated and cared for?" Akane replied, "She's a Pirate, for Kami-sakes! What's to keep her from taking the whole crew and selling them someplace to the highest bidder, Nabiki and the others with them?"

"Madam Lao is many things, but she has her own code of honor and tends to do what she believes is right in most circumstances," Kodachi assured them, "If she says that they will be well treated, then they will be well treated. I have never seen her act in a manner that was truly dishonorable, even when presented with temptations to misbehave."

"Are you sure about that?" Ryoga asked, "There are over a thousand people on that cruise liner, and if Lao thinks she can get away with enslaving even a few of them, Nabiki included..."

"I suspect that she would very much have her hands full if she tried anything on a wooden ship so long as Saotome remains the master of the Honosenken," Beatrice remarked as she stroked her chin in a thoughtful manner, "But if she is as formidable as you seem to suggest, then there is no telling what she might do with temptation so near to her grasp. In her place I know that I might find it difficult to restrain myself, let alone refrain from giving vent to my baser reflexes..."

"We know," Alison said dryly, patting her belly as she added, "If anybody ought to know that about you, Beiko, then she's standing right next to you carrying your baby."

"Ah...yes...of course, my love," Beatrice said with a somewhat sheepish expression, "That was rather my point...after a fashion..."

"What are we going to do?" Akane asked, "The guys were on that round-trip tour and were supposed to reach Sydney, Australia by the end of two weeks, but somehow I don't think Lao is going to let them go that easy, no matter what assurances she gives us...no offense, Kei-chan."

"I don't take offense that easy, Akane-chan," Keiko replied, "But I do have faith in the Mistress."

"As do I," Kodachi said simply, "I owe her my sanity and a great deal besides that..."

"Well I don't trust her," Ryonami declared, "She's a pirate after all, and Senpai told me that she doesn't trust her either, so I say we have to do something about this and right away before we lose track of that ghost-ship she controls..."

"We won't lose it," Beatrice assured, "My probes have successfully crossed over onto the ship's deck and are relaying a location finder. True I can't quite get any solid readings through whatever kind of protective screen she seems to have surrounding her ship, but I'm rather certain that I will at least be able to track her location...for as long as the battery charges hold up."

"And something else to consider," Keiko added, "None of us is in any shape to mount any kind of a rescue mission, and even if I did believe the Mistress of intending that sort of mischief."

"Yeah," Akane agreed, "I hate to admit this, but Alison here's the only one of us who could actually stand up to her in a fight, and she's too far pregnant to risk it anyway..."

"Oh, you think so, huh?" Alison smiled, "Well, maybe I can't do anything at the moment, but I know someone else who could get right on it in a flash."

"You mean your father and mother?" Beatrice asked.

"Better than that," Alison smiled, reaching out a hand and said, "Give me the phone, will you? I need to make a call to somebody I haven't talked to in a while now."

"And who is that?" Kodachi asked as she passed the phone into the palm of the redhead.

"You'll see soon enough," Alison replied as she began dialing a number, then paused a moment before saying in English, "{Hey there, recognize me, Big Sis? Look, you doing anything at the moment, because I need a really big favor and I was hoping you could come pay me a visit...yeah...that's right, I'm in the Nerima Ward on the outskirts of Tokyo. How soon can you get here? Great, see you when you get here, bye!}"

"Big sister?" Keiko translated into Japanese.

"You have a sister?" Ryoga marveled.

"Half-sister," Alison corrected, "From Dad's previous marriage to a lady named Lois. She'll be here pretty quick, so don't be too surprised when she shows up and...Bei? Let's try not to be too overt about this marriage thing. She's kind of old-fashioned in a slightly Judeo-Christian kind of way."

"What is she, a Fundamentalist?" Beatrice asked.

"Close," Alison replied, "She's definitely on the conservative side of the spectrum, in fact...I think that must be her now."

"Eh?" Kodachi cocked and ear as she heard what sounded like an object streaking through the air at supersonic speeds, even as Alison was already moving to the back window of the apartment, opening it wide as Beatrice cocked a silvery eyebrow.

"Your sister is here already?" Akane marveled, "Where was she when she took your call?"

"America," Alison replied, "She runs her own business in the States, but she's the type who'll drop everything if she knows I really need a favor, and unlike me she has full Kryptonian powers."

"Full Kryptonian...?" Keiko paused to glance down at herself, then at the others, "Um...A-chan...I think you may have overlooked one teeny, tiny little thing..."

Before she could finish her statement a womanly shape appeared at the edge of the window sill, and a moment later that figure stepped into the room itself, dressed in a surprisingly action oriented costume that bore the family emblem of the House of El, a Kryptonian symbol recognized the world over, which brought more than a few raised eyebrows from everyone present who had ever even glanced at a newspaper.

"Here I am...what the heck?" said the brown haired woman as she scanned the room with an astonished expression, "Ally-chan...what have you been up to?"

"Er..." Alison belatedly realized that she and her friends were still as naked as Jaybirds, having only recently interrupted their sexual activities in light of the ship-borne crisis.

"Ally-chan," the brown haired woman said crossly, "What have you been up to...and...when did you become pregnant? Where's your husband, and why didn't you send me invitations to your wedding...?"

"Oneechan," Alison replied awkwardly, then paused as she fought for the right words to say to defuse the situation.

Fortunately for her Beatrice took that moment to step forward and say, "You must be her older sister, Martha, about whom I've heard so much..."

"Martha?" the older woman blinked, "There must be some mistake. I'm..."

"Please don't insult my intelligence," Beatrice replied, "Your other identity is of only marginal importance to us at the moment. You are here at Aiko's request because we have an emergency at sea...a ship carrying very dear friends of ours has met with a calamity and we are concerned about their welfare..."

"It's an emergency?" the brown haired woman replied, "Why didn't you say so in the first place? And what's going on here...is this some kind of kinky slumber party you people are throwing on? I know you do things differently in Japan than in the States, but..."

"Please Sis," Alison spoke up, "Spare me the lecture for once, will you? It really is an emergency, and you're the next best thing to Dad I know to call on to help out..."

"All right," Martha raised her hands in a reassuring manner, "I'll wait for an explanation later. Just give me the details and I'll see what I can do about finding your friends. Now, which ocean are they on at the moment?"

"Here," Beatrice indicated the computer monitor screen showing the satellite photograph, "Do you recognize this part of the South Pacific where our friends were last located?"

"Sure I know that spot," Martha replied, "I went there on my honeymoon with...um...never mind! So you say it's a ship...what type and model?"

"A luxury cruise liner," Akane spoke up, " Please, my sister and her husband are on that ship, along with her wife and child and...um...well, my family, okay?"

"Wife?" Martha blinked, then shook her head and said, "Never mind...I'll be right on it. Should take me a couple of minutes to wing out there."

"A couple of minutes?" Kodachi blinked, "You are serious?"

"As serious as a kick to the head," Martha smiled, "After all, I'm Super."

And with that the woman became a blur as her body all but flowed out through the same window through which she had come, stirring up a heavy breeze in passage that whipped everyone's hair, including Ryoga's."

"Wow," Ryoga remarked, "Now that is fast..."

"She is everything you said that she would be...and more," Beatrice remarked, "Which means we should come up with a plausible reason for why we were all stark naked when she arrived here, Aiko-chan."

"Yeah...no fooling," Alison gulped, "Um...Beiko...do you think you could...?"

"I'm already at work crafting a suitable explanation," Beatrice smiled, "Now that I have some idea of what I am working with, I am certain that I will find something plausible that will defuse this situation."

"Thanks," Alison's shoulders slumped, "She's my sister and I love her and all that, but there are times when she can be a real pain. Good thing she's one of the toughest people on the whole damned planet and so damned fast that when she really gets started she can circle the globe eight times in one second..."

"Fascinating," Kodachi mused, "But I am curious about how it is that she can fly while you, my dear friend, are most notably earth-bound."

"You're wondering about that?" Alison remarked, "I've been wondering my whole damned life why I take more after Mom than Dad in most respects. I think it has something to do with the God part of my family tree...full blooded Kryptonians are pretty much invulnerable to everything except Kryptonite and Magic, unless you count Red Sun radiation, and having divine blood must somehow dilute the alien part of my heritage, or something like that...right Beiko?"

"That is one theory that I have been working upon for quite some time now," Beatrice replied, "You have many hidden gifts and talents that are no doubt latent within you, but it would seem that you did not inherit the full fledged Kryptonian gene that is so manifest within your sister. Of course without further tests this is only speculation on my part..."

"Ah...one question," Ryonami spoke up, "You say that Magic can affect Kryptonians, right?"

"Yeah, so?" Alison replied with a lifted eyebrow.

"Lao's ship!" Akane suddenly reacted, "It's chock full of magic! And Lao herself is virtually a wizard when she's inside it..."

"Meaning that she may be vulnerable to this Slaver's attacks?" Beatrice raised an eyebrow, "Oh dear...I never even thought of that..."

"Huh?" Alison blinked, "Oneechan...vulnerable? But-I gotta warn her! She doesn't know what she's getting herself into-!"

"That seems to happen a lot with the Mistress," Keiko remarked with a faint sigh, "I just hope your sister has enough good sense not to antagonize Madam Lao or..."

"Or the rescuer is going to need to be rescued?" Ryoga concluded, having finally figured it out, "Uh oh..."

"Something tells me there is going to be trouble on the high seas of one type or another," Kodachi grimly predicted, "And the Gods alone know what the Madam will think about a Kryptonian half-breed coming to pay her a visit...especially one was beautiful and bountiful as that one."

"Hey!" Alison protested, "She's my sister, dammit..."

"And we have to get the word to her to be cautious," Beatrice replied, then sighed, "I only hope that Nabiki and the others are managing to keep cool heads wherever they are at the moment. It would not do for them to risk provoking this particular Madam regardless of whatever stressful situations they may be undergoing at this particular moment..."

"Breathe, Ucchan...breathe!" Ranma urged, all but hyperventilating as he tried to make an example with his own breaths.

"I'M TRYING!" Ukyo screeched between clenched teeth, "You think it's so easy, you should try it!"

"No try too hard," Shampoo counseled, "Wear self out if do that. Better let body do what come natural for Amazon..."

"Natural?" Perfume asked shrilly, "She's having my BABY, for the sake of the Goddess! How is any of this natural or normal?

"Easy now," said a blue-skinned handmaiden from where the five of them were floating in a Jacuzzi-like pool together, "Take things slow and don't try to rush. Let your body do what it naturally needs doing and put yourself in our hands. There shouldn't be any further complications at this point..."

"Complications?" Perfume asked anxiously, her face a mask of concern that she did not even bother to hide this time around.

"Just try and relax," the handmaiden assured them, "We do this sort of thing all the time within the Harem of our Mistress. After all, you're hardly the first mortal who has given birth in this exact same manner..."

"Really?" Ranma asked uneasily, "Are you sure?"

"Positive," said one of the various naked concubines who were gathered around to offer their encouragement, "Many of us have given birth in just such a manner. It's the Mistress's preferred way to ease the process of childbirthing, using water as the medium to accommodate the mother and baby as they make their physical separation."

"The problem here is that your pregnancy has been accelerated by magic," said another naked concubine reclined on a nearby divan, "Everything from your development to your contractions are taking place in less than half the usual time, which is why you've completed your third trimester in only the few months since you were last here among us."

"And that means your body has to adjust to twice as many physical changes as you normally would face with a pregnancy this advanced," the attendant said, "Which is why we need to ease the rate of your contractions by a bit. If only the Mistress would hurry back to take charge of this operation. My skills are no where near as great as her own, though my body be made of water itself..."

"So nice to have a vote of confidence from a trusted servant," said Madam Lao herself as she strode into the chamber with Nabiki at her side, "Have no fear, I'm here to help complete what I helped get started. I trust she has not gone too far along in her pains as yet?"

"There is still some time before the baby makes its way into the world, Mistress," the blue skinned attendant, "Time enough for you to take charge of these affairs."

"Well done then, Sethui," Lao complimented as she stepped up to the pool then set a bare foot into the waters, "You have made these waters pure for the delivery of the child, now I will ease the mother's pain and help bring new life and joy to both of the parents."

"What are you gonna do?" Ranma asked warily.

"Watch and see, Little Dragon," Lao replied, moving to the spot between Ukyo's legs that was vacated by the former attendant, who melted into the waters and became as one with the pool itself, forming a ripple before vanishing altogether.

"What is this?" Nabiki asked as she stared down at her loved ones, all gathered about Ukyo as Lao laid hands on her waist and steadied the younger girl's hips beneath the surface of the water.

"I'm going to help her, of course," Lao replied, "The human body is mostly composed of water with a few pounds of other raw elements gathered together for packaging. My servants are able to dissolve and reform themselves by manipulating these elements within their own bodies. Likewise I can help by manipulating the elements within the mother's own body and thus clear the way for her baby to move from her womb into the world. The muscles that cause her contractions, which push the child out of her uterus, can be used to channel the baby more smoothly, and thus give birth to a child of the future."

"A child of the future?" Shampoo repeated, "What you say, Cousin? Is Ukyo baby...?"

"One of several bright stars meant to guide the future destiny of her generation, of course," Lao replied, "The first and most important was your child by Nabiki, the future Nexus who will follow in your place, young Dragon, in the fullness of time..."

"Huh?" Ranma said, "My place? What do you mean? And...what's happening with Ucchan?"

"That's what I want to know," Perfume said as she cradled Ukyo in her lap, her wife having calmed down a great deal from the moment Lao had touched her, "Is Ukyo all right...?"

"Your wife is doing just fine," Lao replied, "In fact...she is almost...ah, there...we are successful. Your baby is delivered, see?"

Ukyo heaved a sigh as Ranma's eyes got very round, Shampoo going so far as to gasp as Lao drew up a tiny form from the warm pool waters, a ruddy shape barely a foot in length and connected by an umbilical cord to Ukyo herself, upon whose belly the child was set as Lao lifted her hips to support her partially above the level of the water.

Nabiki gasped in amazement, seeing the tiny shape move as if in its sleep, and then Lao severed the umbilical cord with her fingers and promptly tied the end to the baby's small belly, then did something with the rest of the cord to make it disappear from view altogether.

Ukyo gasped, then stared in wonder at what was slowly stirring to life upon her abdomen, then with instinctive tenderness she reached out to cup the baby in her arms as it drew its first short breath. Perfume and Ranma steadied her as Ukyo got into a sitting position, holding the baby above the water with as much care as if she were as fragile as porcelain. Despite obviously having been exhausted by her ordeal, Ukyo seemed to glow with a radiant happiness that made those about her bask in the warmth that surrounded her, Ranma no less than Perfume, with Shampoo smiling as though a miracle had just transpired before them.

Nabiki was stunned as she stood on the sidelines taking in the whole thing, but then Lao smiled at her and said, "Won't you come in and join the others? After all, you're as much a part of this as anyone...and don't worry...I'm circulating the water to remove excess impurities, so I assure you that it will be quite sanitary."

"That isn't what I..." Nabiki started to say, then growled, "Oh hell..." and waded into the pool, not even bothering to follow the custom of washing herself off first. To her relief she remained female as the temperature of the water was adequate enough not to trigger her curse, and soon she was joining the others gathered around the triumphant Ukyo, while Lao stepped back and smiled, obviously satisfied with her part in the resolution of this crisis.

"I'll leave you now to attend to your own group needs," Lao smiled as she stepped out of the pool, "Feel free to ask my women for anything you need, but be mindful that you are my guests and should not stray beyond certain areas. I have to attend to some other concerns...some of my new passengers are wanting to make contact with their families, and I have to explain to them that we will not be reaching port for another forty-eight hours, after which they will be released into their own custody..."

"Minus the ones you decide on keeping?" Nabiki asked with a glance over her shoulder.

"I'm still deciding about that," Lao replied with a frank expression, "But fifty-three out of seventeen hundred is only a mere three percent of the lives I've rescued. I rather think those are favorable odds for me to make this trip worth my while, don't you agree? At any rate, there are the injured to care for and there will be plenty of time for you to think up some convincing arguments that you may use to dissuade me. I'll be back to tend to you as soon as other matters are resolved to my satisfaction."

"Th-thank you," Ukyo said in a weak but appreciative voice.

Lao paused as she began to turn away, glancing back at the Okonomiyaki chef, them smiling as she replied, "Don't mention it...it was an honor and a sincere pleasure. Let me know what you decide to name your daughter, my new Cousin."

And with that the Pirate Queen raised her hands and caused the moisture on her body to evaporate, then she casually strode out of the room without a backward glance. Nabiki watched her go with an uncertain expression of her own, then she heard Ranma say, "You know...I just can't figure that lady out."

"What you mean, Ranma?" Shampoo asked.

"There are times when I think that lady is one of the most dangerous enemies we could have," Ranma replied, "And I don't like the fact that she's obviously got us at her mercy...but...you know...there are other times when I could almost get to like her..."

"I know what you mean...Ranchan," Ukyo said softly, glancing down at the tiny infant nuzzling experimentally at her chest, "But...I guess I owe her for this...big time..."

"We owe her very much, Airen," Perfume agreed, "But that doesn't mean we should lower our guard any time too soon around our cousin."

"I follow you totally on that, Per-chan," Nabiki nodded, "I can't let it out of my mind how she treated us during our last visit on this tub, and that benevolent act of hers doesn't fool me into forgetting that the lady is a walking...ah..."

"Tiger?" Ranma concluded for her, only to hear Nabiki's soft shudder, to which he added, "Sorry."

"Don't apologize," Nabiki turned to regard her marriage partners, "I've got to get over that damned phobia of mine one of these days. How have the rest of you been treated?"

"Well...no problems so far," Ranma said, holding up his right arm, upon which they could see the flowing tattoos that marked his mastery of the Honosenken, "She had a few questions about this...but she seems to already know a lot about what we've been doing lately. She called me a young Wizard in the making, and then she started with the Dragon stuff, it's uncanny..."

"Cousin Lao is very wise, almost like Elder," Shampoo cautioned, "She almost as dangerous as great-grandmother when crossed...is good thing she seem no want to impose will on us or we at very bad disadvantage."

"Not necessarily," Perfume noted, "I think even Cousin Lao is understandably concerned about your links to a major-league Fire Elemental, Ranma. Magic or not, this is still a wooden ship, and Water is the natural enemy of Fire..."

"Could be," Ranma said, "On the other hand, I guess she knows that I won't exactly set fire to everything while you guys are on board, not to mention the rest of these women. I can't say for sure if Latisha feels the same way, but she seems to be willing to keep things calm for now, just as long as Lao doesn't push things."

"So, I guess the same thing for now would be to do nothing," Nabiki frowned, "Doesn't suit me at all...I don't exactly trust her, but as long as she's willing to play the munificent hostess..."

Soft laughter from the women all around them caused the companions to turn quizzical looks their way, then one reclining beauty made a point of flexing a leg, showing off the elegant golden chains that linked two ankle manacles together.

"You do not trust the Mistress?" she asked, "But she is everything to us, and we know that it is futile to resist her."

"Why would you want to fight with her anyway?" another bejeweled concubine asked, "Submitting to her will brings you so much greater pleasure."

"The Mistress loves women of strong character and a firm body," a third remarked with a blissful expression, "She also loves those of us with alert minds and ready wits, but a challenge is the thing she prizes most of all, and if you defy her, you will only draw her interest."

"It's not so bad to have the Mistress turn her attention upon you," a forth remarked with a kittenish expression, "True she can be cruel as well as kind, but she is never more harsh than is necessary."

"And that's where the fun really begins," a fifth concurred, causing several other women to laugh merrily as if sharing a private humor.

"Fun?" Ranma spoke up, "You people are slaves, for Kami-sakes! How can you possibly enjoy that?"

"Little man, don't you know?" said one concubine in amusement, "We're all slaves in one sense or another...very few people are really free, when you come down to it, and for most of us Freedom is a highly overrated virtue."

"Freedom for some of us brings back many less than pleasant memories, when our lives were much less fulfilling than they are now," another concubine related, "Take me, for example...I used to be an office worker in a secretarial pool, hounded and abused by my boss, unable to find a man to satisfy me or who wanted to commit to a permanent relationship in my private life...and now I'm a mother and a valued researcher on the staff of my lady, pampered and pleasured at the whims of our loving Mistress, who never leaves us feeling sad or unfulfilled and only punishes us when we get too far out of line or misbehave in some particularly naughty manner."

"Lucky you," another girl remarked, "My folks were smuggling me out of China when we were attacked by other pirates who killed our parents and did terrible things to me and my sisters. Fortunately the Mistress found and rescued us in time, and now we're living much better than we were in China. I don't know that my sainted parents would approve of everything that I do under the dominion of my Mistress, but I'm sure that they would be smiling down from Heaven knowing that my sisters and I are at least happy...after a fashion."

"Happy," Nabiki repeated, "After a fashion."

"You don't really understand," yet another concubine remarked, "And you're not really trying, but suit yourself. We don't pass judgement on you, you don't pass judgement on our lifestyle either."

"Pass judgement?" Ranma said, "What would you be passing judgement on us for?"

"Oh come on now," one of the previously outspoken women made a leering expression, "One guy to four women? You really have to ask that question?"

"Not that we would be accusing you of holding to a double standard," the woman next to her replied before turning and giving the first girl a nuzzling kiss along her earlobe, then continuing with a sultry, "But you won't find any of us feeling like victims because we won the favor of the Mistress."

"That's right," another agreed, "We get as much sex as we want and we enjoy ourselves in complete luxury and contentment. There's no shame between us, and all of us are sisters of one flesh. It's like being a part of one large extended family, and we have our children to care for. So...what else are we missing?"

"Freedom?" Perfume asked.

"A very abstract concept, and I doubt any of you really have all that much of it yourselves," said yet another concubine as she stretched her languorously nude body to full display as if to urge the group to admire her flawless body, "Me, I used to be a beauty queen...won all sorts of awards, but I wasn't really free or happy. You're an Amazon, you're bound by rules that most of us would find pretty constricting, and as for the rest of you Japanese..."

"All right," Nabiki said, "So maybe we're not here to criticize you people. If you like your lives so much, so be it, just...don't expect any of us to suddenly up and agree that you've got it better here than we do in the world outside this cozy little seraglio of yours. Now...what about MY daughter?"

"You looking for this little one?" another concubine who had not been seen before said as she got up off of a chair and approached the bathing pool with a sleeping baby nuzzling near to her chest, "She's been like an angel the whole time...hardly even knows that she now has a little sister, isn't she sweet?"

Shampoo detached herself from Ukyo's side and waded out to the pool edge so that she could accept her baby as the concubine passed her along into her arms. The tiny child seemed to stir in recognition of her mother's presence, and Shampoo began to sing a soft lullaby to soothe her baby back to sleep, her voice as warmly musical as the look of adoration on her face, and-seeing that her wife and child were both safe and in good order-Nabiki heaved a sigh of her own in suppressed relief. Sensing no immediate danger, she started to think more rationally and analytically about their present situation.

"Okay," she said, "Putting aside that what you people are saying is of your own free will and not just a reflection of Lao's own thinking, what exactly are we supposed to do with ourselves on this visit?

"Why, that should be obvious," one concubine replied with a broad grin, "You can do whatever you like, just as long as you obey the restrictions of the Mistress."

"Don't wander too far, don't go anyplace where you've been forbidden to trespass, and don't interfere with the ship's crew in the performance of their duties," another clarified, "Outside of that, you can indulge yourself to your heart's content as guests of the Mistress."

"What could be more easy to understand?" remarked a third sultry beauty, "You can even hang with us and learn the finer points of how to have fun in an entirely domestic setting."

"Yeah," a fourth grinned broadly, "And what's more, if you feel like sharing with any of us, the Mistress has already given us permission...and since Boychick over there is the first piece of real male meat that we've even been permitted to look at in a long while..."

"NO!" said Nabiki, Shampoo, Ukyo and even Perfume in the same decisive tones as all four women formed a circle around a much-surprised Ranma, making it very clear about what they collectively all though about the concept of such "sharing."

"No need to be in such a fuss," one of the concubines remarked, "Circling the wagons like that, as if we were a bunch of hostile natives who needed to be defended against. Just imagine that, girls?"

There were some collective tittering from all around the chamber, but the predatory looks that the Tendo Posse Marriage Circle were receiving in no way, shape or form reassured the reluctant "guests" enough to make Nabiki and the others want to drop their collective guard anytime soon around these women. After all, Ranma was not the only one being eyed in a speculative manner, and there was no telling just what the actual boundary lines would be within this seraglio, ESPECIALLY around women who were the self-admitted "property" of one Madam Lao, Esquire.

All at once the blue skinned woman of before reformed from the water and appeared alongside Nabiki, her expression one of puzzlement as she eyed the wary ex-Tendo girl and said, "Excuse me...you are the one with the Jusenkyo curse that turns you into a man, correct?"

"Yeah?" Nabiki asked, "What about it?"

"It is just...there are some odd hormonal differences in you that I have just now detected," the Undine replied, "Please wait here, I must inform the Mistress."

And with that the elemental servant dissolved herself again and once again merged with the warm waters of the wading pool. Ranma paused a moment before looking at Nabiki, "Hormonal difference? What's that all about?"

"I've got no idea, Ranchan," Nabiki shrugged, "But somehow...I've got a feeling that it may mean trouble with a capital T."

"So what else is new?" Ukyo asked, now able to support herself once again, "Weird...I was feeling so tired a minute ago...but now...I feel better..."

"Are you sure of that, Airen?" Perfume asked, remaining firmly at her wife's side as if expecting her to succumb to another moment of weakness.

"I guess," Ukyo replied, "I just feel...really hungry all of a sudden...and...I guess I'm not the only one," she smiled as she stared at the tiny baby in her arms, who was even now stirring to fix her tiny lips around her mother's nipple, as if instinctively knowing where to go for the nutrients that she needed.

"Is very strong girl-child," Shampoo agreed as she held up her own suckling infant for comparison, "Almost full term, as Shampoo mother would say. But what you call you new baby, Cousin?"

"Ah...well...that's a really good question," Perfume replied, "Ucchan and I have suggested many ideas but...but...baby...that's my baby?" her expression suddenly underwent a comical transformation, "I'm a FATHER? Oooohhh..."

"Per-chan?" Ukyo asked in alarm, finding her wife had suddenly collapsed into the water with her eyes rolled up into the back of her head, "PERCHAN?"

"She'll be all right," one of the concubines assured them, "With a chest like that, I doubt she'll drown in the birthing pool."

"Kind of handy having your own built-in flotation devices," another concubine noted wryly.

"Must have been a delayed effect of coming to the realization that she's just had a baby by another woman," mused a third concubine.

"Happens all the time around here," another concubine chuckled, "You should have seen Tammy's face when I had her baby...it was priceless!"

"Say what?" Nabiki looked sharply at the one who had spoken, "Are you saying you've had a baby by another woman?"

"Sure, same way you did," the concubine in question replied, "Jusenkyo-assisted pregnancy. Did you think you were the only girl who ever fathered a Fusion?"

"A Fusion?" Ranma asked.

"A child born of two parents of the same sex, both women," another concubine clarified, "The Mistress uses a kind of magic that makes it possible to have a baby without needing to resort to the use of a man. Temporary Male-curse by means of powdered Jusenkyo water. Only works one time, but once is all it takes around here. I'm Tammy, by the way, the fama of Odine's baby."

"Fama?" Nabiki again repeated, "Powdered Jusenkyo water?"

"Aiyaa," Shampoo spoke up, "Instant Nanniichuan...Shampoo hear they market it in China. Is ordered from Jusenkyo Products Catalogue..."

"Jusenkyo Products Catalogue?" Nabiki turned back to her wife, "How come this is the first I've ever heard of it?"

"You never ask, Airen," Shampoo said with a coy expression, "Is many things in catalogue even more interesting than Instant Jusenkyo powder..."

"Instant Jusenkyo powder," Ukyo repeated with a thoughtful expression, eyeing Perfume, whom she was attempting to revive with her otherwise free-hand, "You don't say?"

"Um...what...where?" Perfume asked as she came back to herself with a much-  
confused expression, the wondered why her Ukyo was looking at her with a smile that was almost...predatory...

"Uh...look guys," Ranma said somewhat nervously, "All this stuff is...ah...pretty interesting and all that...but don't you think it's time we got out and got dry now?"

"Well, don't let any of us stop you," said the girl named Tammy as she struck a fetching pose that left one in no doubt whatsoever of the nature of her sex (at least at the present), "Feel free to step out anytime. We'll show you to the room the Mistress has set aside for you and you can get settled in to your brand new lifestyle."

"Um...thanks," Nabiki replied warily, "But we don't plan on staying all that long..."

"Sure, you say that now," Odine chuckled, "But when you get used to life around here you'll change your mind."

"I doubt that very much," Nabiki said, leading the way as she and the others waded out of the pool and back onto the relatively dry deck, "Um...somebody got a towel we can use to dry off?"

All at once the moisture fell from her body, as well as the others, leaving them reasonably dry with even their hair fluffed out and conditioned.

"Why would you need a towel?" Tammy inquired with a leer, "The Undines can work wonders when the Mistress is otherwise busy, and they're always watching us as our protectors and companions. You'll get used to the idea before too long, it's one of the nice perks that come from being the pampered property of our Mistress."

"Er...right," Nabiki said sheepishly, realizing that there was little to be gained through argument over the finer points of the "Slave-versus-non-Slave" issue. Instead she allowed Tammy to lead the way as she and her loved ones were escorted to their new accommodations, all the while keeping a wary eye for the suspicious shadows that surrounded them, as if expecting more of the blue-  
skinned elementals to put in an appearance at any time.

Of course she was also making a note of the way Ranma's eyes kept straying from one area of the seraglio to the next, ESPECIALLY in light of the fact that there was acres of comely feminine flesh on display, and some of it was currently pressed up against OTHER writhing feminine bodies, as if they had stepped into a combination of Nudist colony and ongoing Pornographic Movie sound stage. To put it mildly, some of the live displays that she and the others witnessed seem more than a BIT lively by even Nabiki's jaded standards.

While she could hardly blame Ranma for having his attention wander in such an environment (Kami knew that SHE was doing a good deal of ogling, and so were Shampoo and Perfume, and Ukyo as well, for all that the majority of her attention was currently focused upon her baby), the fact that her new husband was being presented with so much "Eye Candy" at one times did not in the least bit please her. This Seraglio that they were currently sharing was likely to prove to be as much of a trap as a gilded cage, and she would hardly put it past Madam Lao to be deliberately attempting to tempt them all into lowering their guard, which would make this Harem of hers one very diabolical snare into which they dared not grow lax for even one minute.

Well, if Lao thought that Nabiki and her loved ones would be easy prey to such temptations, then she would have to remind the "kitty" just who it was she was dealing with. If Lao wanted a challenge then a challenge was what Nabiki would give her. After all, a battle of wits was something Nabiki prided herself for being good at, and there was bound to be more than one way to skin a Tiger...

Provided, of course, the Tiger does not eat you first, she mentally amended, but every challenge was bound to have a few odd risks and what was life without a little danger? Boring as hell, for one thing, and would not boredom seem preferable right there and then to taking an extended all-expenses paid "vacation" care of "Madam Lao Cruise Lines?" Nabiki sincerely hoped that she would not soon be forced to learn the answer to that particular question...

To the vast majority of people living on planet Earth the word "Kryptonian" conjured up an image of a being with vastly god-like, near-infinite abilities far beyond the ken of ordinary mortals. To some extent this public image was true, but Martha Kent II knew far too well that her abilities-while considerable indeed-were no more "infinite" than those of her far more famous father. The powers and abilities inherent in his race bestowed on one the ability to break the bounds of gravity, to move at incredible speeds, to lift and carry objects of tremendous volumes and mass, and to laugh off kinetic forces that would do damage to a good sized mountain. Their sensory abilities alone made them into human tracking stations, able to monitor events over a great range of distance. Given all of that, if there was anything mortal in this world that could find a downed ship in the middle of the open seas, it was a Kryptonian beyond question, or so Martha had reasoned when she set out to the coordinates designated by her younger half-sister.

Situated one hundred and thirty miles above the surface of the planet, Martha scanned the area directly below her, seeing the vast Pacific as if it were laid out on a grid map and picking out significant details with a speed that would put to shame the fastest super-computer, mentally cataloguing and dismissing irrelevant points until she found one that met the criteria that she was after. Having determined her goal, she proceeded to drop back into the atmosphere, plummeting to Earth with such speed that the air around her caught fire in the parting. The flames never came near to her body, nor would they have affected her in the slightest as she accelerated her velocity to hypersonic speeds far greater than any missile. She controlled the angle of her descent to level off as she approached nearer to her target, then slowed to a more leisurely glide so that she could circle around the object of her pursuit, a crippled ocean liner miles away from the nearest shoreline.

Total elapsed time from the moment that she had left the apartment of Alison and Beatrice was scarcely more than a few minutes, and in that time Martha had managed to hold her breath during her brief near-orbital flight, but now she drew breath as her vision scanned the sagging waterline of the ship, marking out the gaping hole that had been punched into the stern, flooding the aft compartments and causing the vessel to list dangerously to its starboard side, definitely down by the stern. The amazing thing-to judge by the amount of damage she was making out on a visual scan-was that the thing was even afloat at all. There was only a skeleton crew on board manning the ship, and these were busy setting about the heroic task of attempting to keep the ship going, for without their engines they were effectively dead in the water.

Martha scanned the ship until she found the captain, then descended down onto the deck, immediately calling attention to herself as it hardly every day that one saw a flying woman wearing a blue-and-red minidress.

"You?" the Captain said in Japanese, "You're..."

"I know," Martha replied, "I'm here to help you, if I can. How bad are you crippled?"

"Bad enough that we can barely work the pumps to keep the water out," the Captain replied, "If it weren't for the watertight compartments holding..."

"I understand," Martha said, "Can you steer if you had power?"

"Barely," the Captain said, "The explosion took out the propshaft and jammed the rudders. Portside rudder does work, some, but the starboard rudder is frozen. We've barely managed to keep the flooding under control, and we can't get repair parties down to assess the damage in the shaft alley..."

"You won't need the propellers," Martha replied, "You'll have me. Get to the helm and have your crew stand by at their stations. I'll get you to the nearest port soon enough, all you have to do is stay afloat long enough to get there."

"Is this true?" the Captain asked with rounded eyes, "Do you really have such power?"

"Power is my middle name," Martha smiled, "It's no more difficult for me than pushing a car across a driveway."

"If you can do this," the Captain said in awe, "Then you really are super."

"Well," Martha shrugged, "If it were my father helping you out, he'd just pick you up and fly you to the nearest port, but since I'm only half-Kryptonian..."

"Ah...yes, just so," the Captain nodded, then turned and began giving orders to his nearest subordinates, which were promptly acknowledged and obeyed.

"By the way, Captain," Martha spoke up, "What exactly did you do to get a hole punched into the lower side of your ship the size of a small truck?"

"An explosion, Power-san," the Captain replied, "But what caused it, I have no idea. We were on our usual pre-chartered course when the incident occurred. There was not even another ship on radar when we heard the explosion astern. At once the propellers failed, and we lost steerage-way, and I ordered all passengers and non-essential crew to the boats and sent out an SOS. And then that other ship appeared from out of nowhere..."

"Other ship?" Martha replied, "What other ship?"

"It was the most amazing thing," the Captain replied, "One moment there was nothing, just a whiff of smoke in our bow...and then a ship appeared from out of that mist..."

"What kind of ship was it?" Martha asked.

"I...I don't remember," the Captain frowned, "It was large, though...maybe over a hundred meters in length...a tanker or some sort, I believe...but...odd, I can't seem to remember its registry number or distinctive markings..."

"You don't say," Martha said as she stepped up to the man and caught his gaze with her eyes, and for a moment the two of them locked stares, the Captain seeming to go glassy-eyed as if falling into a trance, but seconds later he blinked his eyes and seemed to come back to himself as Martha smiled and remarked, "Now...what do you remember about this mysterious vessel?'"

The captain thought a moment then his eyes widened again, "I seem to remember now...it was a sailing ship...a Chinese Junk by the look of it, but huge...it must have been one hundred and thirty meters long from bow to stern..."

"A Junk...four hundred feet in length?" Martha was amazed at this account, "Sailing in these oceans?"

"It is strange, is it not?" the Captain paused, then added, "But not as strange as the fact that they should appear at exactly the time when we most need them. Strange...I didn't think to ask about it at the time, but when they offered to give aid and shelter to my passengers and less essential crew..."

"You let your crew transfer over to a strange ship in the middle of the ocean without even knowing who was on that other vessel?" Martha asked in an incredulous tone of voice.

"It is strange...no...make that appalling," the Captain replied, "How could I have let such a thing happen? In all my years I have never acted so irresponsibly, even given the crisis situation that we were facing with people panicking and needing to be herded to the lifeboats...and then...she came along...and everything was under control again..."

"She?" Martha repeated.

"A woman...a very tall woman..." the Captain paused, "She had light blue-green hair, and eyes that glowed like a great cat in the night...does that make any sense?"

"She hypnotized you," Martha replied, "I know because I just undid that hypnotic block. It's a Kryptonian thing, runs in my half of the family."

"It's strange," the Captain frowned, "She seemed...concerned with everyone's safety...but her people...some of them were not even human..."

"Not human?" Martha replied, "How so?"

"They were blue..." the Captain paused, "And some of them were made out of...water...but that doesn't make any sense..."

"You'd be amazed at what makes sense in this business," the Martha replied, already turning away, "Get to your bridge and be ready. I'm going to begin pushing in another minute."

So saying she took off into the air and arced around behind the vessel, all the while reflecting on the information that she had absorbed in the past few seconds. Obviously something very extraordinary had happened in that moment of crisis when one ship was boarded by the occupants of another. Strange goings on indeed, and ominous beyond question, but something that she would need to tackle at a later time, after she saw to the salvaging of the crippled ocean liner.

In truth the task at hand was considerably more difficult than pushing a car across an open lot, but she was used to simplifying her explanations for those who did not understand Metahuman physics, or how a woman standing over five and a half feet tall could push a thousand foot long vessel weighing in at close to two million metric tons displacement. In effect she would be doing more than provide the propulsion that would drive the ship forward through the water, in actuality she would be merging with the vessel, the energy within her solar-  
powered frame flowing out through her hands and fortifying the physical structure of the immensely massive steel frame.

It was the secret behind a Kryptonian's super strength, this ability to extend a portion of her own might into whatever she touched, a reason why her father could hold up a building without it crumbling into so much useless debris. The power she extended into the ship also had the effect of lowering its inertia and kinetic resistance. It was the power that she could use to make or break the structure of whatever she touched, or to resist the damage of hostile forces extended against her, and so long as the sun was channeling new force into her frame she could continue to transfer this energy to do her bidding. The individual cells of her body were constantly renewing her vital resources, which was why she would not be too badly strained or tire too quickly in providing the force that would be needed to push the vessel.

With her heightened senses she could see the Captain assuming control over the bridge, and with his people manning the helm she knew that it was time to begin channeling some of her energy into forward propulsion. She cleared her mind and concentrated on balancing these energies so that the ship became progressively lighter, as well as losing some of its surface resistance so that the viscosity of the water would be greatly diminished. Before too long she built up enough momentum to begin driving the ship towards the nearest warm port that could accommodate such a deep-draft vessel, steadily increasing the velocity until the ship was all but hydrofoiling, rising higher and higher above its usual waterline in the process.

Her father, as Martha often complained, could have done this job in a matter of a few minutes, but being a hybrid Kryptonian meant that you had to take a few limitations, such as a less dense molecular structure, an advantage that could only have been won if she had been born on her father's home planet. It was times such as these when Martha remembered why she had semi-retired from the superheroine business. These days half-powered individuals such as herself and her two brothers were competing with the likes of newly up and coming Mystery Men who could really kick up sand on the galactic beaches. She kept her hand in the trade more from a sense of duty and family tradition than from genuine love of the superhuman trade, having long ago opted to spend more time in her civilian identity as a corporate tycoon in charge of her own News business.

Such heroics as these were for the younger types anyway...but when the lives of innocent people were at stake, Martha often found that she could not quite bring herself to hang up her metaphorical cape. Having great power meant great responsibility came with the genealogy, and when a sister called for help (even the daughter of THAT WOMAN whom her father had married years after Martha's own mother had gone on to heaven), Martha could still drop literally everything and come running. Besides, from the sound of things something truly fishy was going on with the missing crew of the liner and that mysterious ship that had appeared after an even more mysterious explosion. Martha was not quite the detective her friend Helena was, but she knew what an explosion looked like when it was directed inward by-say-a mine or some high-explosive tipped torpedo.

She would have to investigate the blast at a much closer range once she got this ship to port, and preferably into a dry-dock if she had time. There would doubtlessly be clues aplenty to uncover from such an inspection, and if what she suspected proved to be the case, then someone would have to answer for this incident. People likely had died in the blast, and who knew how many more might have perished in the resulting panic and confusion? She would expedite her survey of the wreckage, and then retrace her steps to where the liner had been disabled. Within a few hours she would have enough data on hand to begin a real investigation, and if she found out that someone had deliberately fired on an innocent ship full of civilians...then the gloves would come off! An reckoning would be had, and heaven help the malefactors who dared cross paths with a Kryptonian outraged...

And...many nautical miles away...Lao had a moment to pause and reflect, sensing that something was in the winds and that the day's exciting events were a long way from over...which oddly brought a Tigerish smile to the lips of this particular lady...

Continued.

Comments/Criticisms/Kryptonian Notes: shadowmane

Nabiki and her crew attempt to accommodate the curious lifestyle of Lao's Harem while Martha pays her respects to Madam Lao herself, but will this be a case of Justice rendered, or Justice gone awry? And who will hold the upper hand here? The answer to this and other conundrums will be found in: "Guest Who's Cumming as Dinner," or "Wham-Bam, No Thank You, Ma'am!" Be there!

And my apologies for not having enough sex this chapter. There were some important plot points that needed to be set in motion before I could resume getting back to the Hentai, and I might have cheapened the plot if I did not give these issues some air time. Next time I will try and be a LOT more Hentai, I promise! Until then, keep dreaming wicked wet dreams!

Jim R. Bader 11/18/2000

X

If you wish to check out my other works, Please check out my Fanfiction webpage at: . All related chapters of this series can be found there along with my other works.  
/pre 


	5. Chapter 5

preDNabikiTHC5

Nabiki 1/2

"A Very Scary Thought!"

THE HENTAI CHAPTER

Part Five.

By Jim Robert Bader

(Inspired by the works of Rumiko Takahashi Others,  
with special thanks to those pioneers of Super Heroics,  
Siegel and Schuster, without whom my childhood would have been a lot less interesting, and to Larry Niven for his own rather astute observations regarding the likely reproductive habits of Kryptonians.)

(Oh, and screw DC while we're at it)

HENTAI ALERT-YOU ARE ENTERING THE LEMON ZONE WHERE NORMAL STANDARDS OF RESTRAINT AND DECENCY DO NOT APPLY! IF YOU HAVE QUALMS ABOUT SEEING YOUNG MEN AND WOMEN IN SEXUALLY EXPLICIT SITUATION CONCERNING BONDAGE, LESBIANISM, NUDITY, SADO-  
MASOCHISM, TENTACLE RAPE AND ABUSES OF ORAL HYGIENE,  
BOY HAVE YOU COME TO THE WRONG PLACE!  
YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED!

"I can't believe that I sent my own big sister into a lair full of magic! What was I thinking?"

"Aiko-chan," Beatrice calmly replied as she studied her computer, "When it comes to doing the thinking in this family unit, yours truly is the one who usually handles that part...although, now that you mention it, I should have been a bit more alert to the fatal flaw in your timely suggestion of going for assistance."

"In other words you screwed up royale," Keiko sniffed, once more half-clothed as no one was in the mood at the moment to try anything kinky, "I could have told you that. If handling supernaturally charged persons like the Mistress were such a piece of cake, then your father could have dealt with her a long time ago...or-failing that-your mother..."

"Yeah, well...up until a short while ago, I'd never even heard of this Madam Lao character," Alison snorted, "I mean, who'd believe in an ex-Amazon martial arts Mistress of the Water School Elemental Storm System running around loose on a centuries old magically charged Chinese Junk that she uses as a floating pleasure palace for bondage and enslavement? I mean, honestly...a ship where the ghosts of people who died there come back to live as Undine elementals that serve the will of their captain, and assisted by some kind of Kraken monster that also does her bidding? I mean, c'mon!"

"True enough," Kodachi mused, "When you put it that way, it sounds more like the improbable plot of some deranged Manga artist...but Kei-chan and I know that she is very much real, and she was-until quite recently-our Mentor, helping me to free myself from the effects of a long-term drug addiction."

"But I don't understand," Akane said, "Madam Lao may be powerful, but if your sister's even more superhuman than you, then how can she be in any danger?"

"Good question," Ryonami noted, "If she's the American Superhero who used to be called Power Woman..."

"That was Power Woman?" Ryoga asked, "I thought maybe she used to be Supergirl or..."

"No," Alison corrected, "Supergirl used to be my cousin, Kara Zor-El, but...well...she's not around in this timeline any more and...we don't like to talk about it."

"Not in this timeline?" Akane looked to the redhead, "What do you mean? Is she...dead or...?"

"Not exactly," Alison said with a tight expression, "It's just...complicated."

"So one would imagine," Kodachi mused.

"Just for the record, though," Ryonami wondered, "Just how many former Kryptonians are there living on this planet?"

"At last count?" Alison replied, "About a couple million, but most of those are shrunk down to the size of one of Beiko's Nanobots, and they all live in an ant-  
colony sized bottled city that Dad keeps in his Fortress of Solitude for safe-  
keeping. The ones who walk around in our world are just a handful, mostly my immediate family and a couple of close attachments."

"Your father is a most remarkable man," Beatrice mused, "And not just because of his alien heritage. I believe he first arrived upon our shores in the nineteen-  
twenties, when he was found and adopted by your deceased grandparents."

"That's right," Alison replied, "Dad first crash landed in a corn field in Nebraska when he was a two-year-old infant. Right away the folks who found and adopted him-the Kents-knew that there was something different about him...only they wouldn't know just how different until he was grown up and ready to move on to the big city. Dad turned eighteen just in time to take part in the Second World War, and he sort-of became a secret weapon for the allies by living a double-life as both a spy and a superhero. Back then Dad hadn't come into his full power...a Kryptonian grows in power over the years, and he wouldn't reach his maximum levels until he turned the equivalent of thirty-five, not that human age terms really apply all that well in his case. I mean, Dad's around eighty or so nowadays, but you'd never know it to look at him! Hell, he looks more like he could be my younger uncle instead of my father..."

"You mean you get stronger the older you get?" Ryoga asked, "Does that mean that you...?"

"I sure hope so," Alison shrugged, "But I'm a special case owing to my having Divine blood mixed in with the Kryptonian. I don't know what my powers will really be like when I get to my twenties...I know Martha didn't reach her peak until she was twenty-eight...which is about a decade or so in her past..."

"But there's one thing I'm not getting in all of this," Ryonami said, "If your father's an alien, then how can he have sex with a human? I mean...and have children..."

"Ah," Beatrice smiled, "The answer to that one is quite simple...Kryptonians are human, they're just a different branch of the family tree that's been separated from the main stock for around fifty-three thousand years."

"Fifty three thousand years?" Akane blinked, "Are you kidding me?"

"Nope," Alison answered, "Afraid not. Beiko may be a real kidder sometimes, but this one she's gotten straight from the source, namely me. I know pretty much all there is to know about Dad's people...it sort of comes with the family, knowing about stuff like our most intimate secrets. What I didn't share with Beiko, she's mostly figured out for herself."

"Indeed," Beatrice remarked, "It may come as no surprise to some of you to learn that the history of the human race is...a bit more complicated than what they teach you in the textbooks. Most scholars believe that human civilization began around six thousand years ago, with the founding of Babylon, Egypt and Sumeria...but I know beyond question that there have been cycles of civilization that have risen to great heights and have fallen by the wayside long before the end of the last ice age. The cycle that we are presently in is but the latest of many that have come and gone before us, right back to the time of our ultimate beginnings well over a million years ago, when our ancestors were kidnapped by aliens and experimented upon to produce our earliest recognisable forebearers."

"Fascinating," Kodachi mused, "I have heard many theories about how human evolution was artificially accelerated, one reason why researchers have been unable to uncover enough traces of intermediate stages that would be predicted by Darwin's famous model..."

"Yeah, well...the long and the short of it is this," Alison remarked, "Humans started out as a virtual slave race working for some galaxy-spanning types who called themselves the Ancients, only we proved to be more adaptable over time and eventually replaced our masters and became the new high-powered dudes in the cosmos."

"Human beings, you see, have latent Psychic potential that is nearly infinite, due to the manipulation of our genetic code," Beatrice clarified, "And by learning the harness the power of our collective minds we threw off our shackles and went on to found our own civilization. Unfortunately human arrogance was the downfall of our first great culture, but we left many traces of ourselves upon a thousand, thousand worlds throughout the cosmos. The stage of humanity that arose from the ashes of a great Chaos War were our genetic ancestors, the Solnoids, only they were an entirely female-dominant race who reproduced through artificial means and got into a calamitous war with a rival power known as the Paranoids, a war that in time brought down their entire civilization. One half million years ago they died off-all but for a few residual colonies on outlying worlds-and left in their wake a restored humanity due to a science experiment that combined Paranoid and Solnoid DNA to recreate the male half of our species."

"Less than half a million years later," Alison resumed, "We come to the time of Atlantis."

"Ah yes," Beatrice mused, "A renaissance period that briefly seemed to offer the potential of restoring humanity to the empire of glory that once was. They were an advanced technological civilization that mastered the harnessing of elemental forces through the use of specialized crystals...but then they grew strange and perverse in their ideals, abusing their vast powers to begin enslaving worlds, and to that end they created a special genetically enhanced breed of warrior to form their shock-troop elite. These were beings whose physical and mental attributes were enhanced to the degree of true superhumans...a warrior race unlike any other, so perfect in every way that they eventually started to wonder about the very people whom they were working for, which lead to a period of unrest that ancient records refer to as, 'The Ironstar Rebellion.'"

"Ironstar Rebellion?" Akane repeated.

"Ironstar was supposed to be some kind of Spartacus-like character in Kryptonian legends," Alison clarified, "Supposedly he fought and lost a bid for freedom for his people, and as punishment the Atlanteans exiled the surviving Supermen on several heavy-gravity worlds in three radically different star systems, colony worlds where normal humans could hardly survive like Krypton, Daxam and some barren hunk of rock used as a mining facility called Wolframa, wherever the heck that is. Anyway, these three branches of humanity grew up and evolved under the harsh conditions that their masters thought would eventually destroy them...imagine how surprised they'd be to know how their Uber-races would thrive in their new environs."

"Indeed," Beatrice mused, "That is the truly remarkable thing about Kryptonians...they evolved on a tectonically unstable world that had been terraformed to accommodate their form of life, and every type of creature upon that world had been adapted with their genetic advantage...the ability to absorb the biosolar energy of cosmic radiation. They are literally walking solar batteries whose cellular structure is charged and fortified with tremendous reserves of the life energy that we call Mana, the same raw element that goes into the formation of Chi attacks or magic. A Kryptonian is charged full of this energy by the nearest available source of intense Biosolar radiation...star energy, if you will...and this energy has been adapted to suit the needs of their bodies so that they can call upon it to achieve things that the rest of us mere mortals describe as Superhuman."

"I see," Kodachi mused, "In other words your people evolved drawing upon the energy of a Red Sun, which dominated the Kryptonian star system..."

"Yeah, that's pretty much it," Alison replied, "Krypton was actually a kind of miniature dwarf star that hardened into a planet, circling around a full fledged red sun they called Rao, which was why it was chock full of heavy elements that originally interested the Atlanteans for mining purposes in the first place. Of course when Atlantis was destroyed their whole civilization collapsed into ruins. A small fragment of the empire remained on Earth and lasted right up until the Ice Age ended, which is pretty much why the only evidence that the empire even existed is found in musty old libraries and ancient ruins."

"Let me see if I get this straight," Keiko remarked, "Your people evolved under a red sun on a dwarf star, subjected to tremendous forces of gravity and whatever, but when your dad came to Earth he was subjected to the more intense biosolar radiation stuff of Earth's yellow sun, and that's what made him into such a superhuman?"

"Pretty much, yeah," Alison replied, "Earth's sun is about ten thousand times more intense than Rao was in its Biosolar output levels, which means Dad grew up absorbing about a million times the life energy dosage that he would have gotten back on Krypton. Every cell in his body is just plain saturated with the stuff, and even when he exhausts himself by using it, he's adapted so much to Earth conditions that he can replenish his reserves within seconds. Of course he didn't gain that ability all at once...it took time and all that. That's why, when he was a small boy, the most he could pick up was the back end of a small truck, and when he was nine or so a whole Tractor was the most he could lift and carry. By the time he got to be my age, though, he was already juggling tanks on his little finger. Just imagine what the American War Department must have made of him when he enlisted!"

"Indeed," Beatrice remarked, "But the truly odd thing was that they did not immediately jump at the prospect of using his vast abilities against the Axis. There was too much concern back then about the moral effect of a literal Superman coming to aid America against the Nazi empire. More than a few in the State Department felt that a victory achieved through the efforts of a single individual might cheapen the contributions and sacrifices being made by ordinary human beings. There were also those who were either jealous or suspicious of any one man possessing so much vast potential, and the difficulty that might be had in controlling him should he prove to be...difficult to manage."

"Human paranoia," Keiko sighed, "Don't you just love it?"

"Of course they changed their minds a bit when they found out about Dad's two great weaknesses, Kryptonite and Magic," Alison remarked, "Hitler had possession of a powerful spear that could even hurt Dad and weaken him if he got too close to it. It was one of several Nazi talismans that convinced the War Department that he could be best used in an undercover role, playing the part of a lowly War Correspondent. That was how Dad wound up working for a major metropolitan Newspaper instead of working on a farm to help his mom pay for bills that started piling up after his dad had a heart attack. The government started footing those bills while Dad went to work as a fearless Nazi fighter, sometimes appearing from out of nowhere to rally the troops, then vanishing back into his secret identity in time for the regular grunts to take all of the credit."

"But...wait a minute," Akane said, "Why is your dad so vulnerable to magic?"

"Well...like I said," Alison shrugged, "His body absorbs life energy, mostly from the Sun, but he's pretty much open to other forms of psychic and spiritual energy, and he can absorb that, too, through the pores in his skin. Dad never got any magic training growing up, so he didn't have any psychic defenses back then that could help him resist a magic spell if it's powerful enough to overwhelm him. It wasn't until he started hanging around with Mom that he really got a grip over his abilities and gained some partial resistance to the stuff."

"Indeed," Beatrice remarked, "Your father had a rather conventional upbringing, for all that he was anything but a conventional kind of mortal. His cells are supercharged to the degree that they generate an a near-totally impenetrable psychic shield that blocks out kinetic forces on a wide scale, as well as reinforcing his molecular structural integrity so that even the force of a major explosion can hardly do more than muss his hair up a little. That field extends to anything in which he is in physical contact, which is also why he can pick up heavy objects without damaging them. By extending this power through the projection of his will he can also defy gravity, accelerate to superhuman speeds, project a devastating force attack through direct line-of-sight transmission-which the press has erroneously mislabeled as 'Heat Vision...'"

"Right," Alison sniffed, "I blame it on the pulp novels, comic books and fictionalized TV shows that were created about Dad for giving people the wrong idea that he's some kind of walking x-ray machine spying on ladies beneath their dresses. Actually all that visual stuff is just some kind of Clairvoyance that Dad picked up along the way, and the rest...well...a Kryptonian's ears can hear a snowflake falling to earth at a mile's distance. The only reason that Dad can't see through lead is that there's some kind of psychic resistance thing that has to do with that particular metal...he sure doesn't have any trouble looking past other dense elements..."

"Lead is traditionally the 'Dull Element' associated with the planet Saturn," Beatrice remarked, "I would theorize that it has a peculiar grounding effect that diminishes a Kryptonian's perceptual ability, much like it can also block out the peculiar radiation signature of Kryptonite, regardless of thickness..."

"What is this Kryptonite anyway?" Ryoga asked, having become perversely fascinated in the discussion of a history that did not quite "feel right" to him for some odd reason...

"Well," Alison shrugged, "When Krypton blew up it caused a chain reaction that seems to have turned a lot of the surface into this growing green mass of highly charged space junk. When Dad's spaceship warped out of the Rao star system it created a temporary worm hole through which a bunch of Kryptonite got sucked in, and gradually they made it all the way to Earth, in spite of Krypton having been many light years away from this planet."

"Indeed," Beatrice added, "The current theory is that this Kryptonite, which is element 126 upon the current Periodic table, got mingled into an alloy with deposits of iron ore during the crystallization process that resulted from the planetary explosion. It emits a low-level radiation that is-mostly-harmless to humans but devastating to Kryptonians. This radiation-which has been artificially duplicated in the past-seems to be keyed to the distinctive molecular signature of Kryptonians and has the effect of causing the cells in their bodies to be 'expunged' of their stores of life-giving mana. Long-term exposure to Kryptonite can be unavoidably fatal, but short doses are less damaging than-say-if a human were to be subjected to more toxic forms of radiation. Kryptonite can weaken a Kryptonian to the point where their body ceases to function on a normal level. Of course this only pertains to the Verdant portion of the electromagnetic spectrum...and since the source of a Kryptonian's superhuman abilities lies within the green portion of the Solar Spectrum..."

"I get it," Ryonami said, "Kryptonite cancels out their ability to absorb this Solar Chi force, just like Magic can overwhelm their psychic defenses...but does the same thing apply to you, Aiko-chan?"

"Naw," Alison smiled, "I'm a little more...unique than that. Mom's half of my make-up is part God, and they eat Magic like it was rice. I tend to absorb all kinds of energy to make me strong and healthy...don't know why I don't have the full range of Kryptonian abilities, though. Mom's been wanting to teach me for years how to fly, but all I seem to be able to do is leap an eighth of a mile or so...guess maybe I'll gain more abilities when I get older."

"I theorize that Aiko's 'God Gene' is a recessive trait that counterbalances her Kryptonian half," Beatrice remarked, "Thankfully she is neither vulnerable to Kryptonite nor Magic. Oh, I am convinced that there are certain types of spells that might work upon her physiology, but so far I have yet to seriously test this theory..."

"What spells?" Alison eyed her domestic partner with suspicion.

"Well, for one thing," Beatrice smiled, "There is Jusenkyo water...I seriously doubt it if would be a good idea for you to visit any cursed springs in the near future. I rather like you the way you are...barefoot and pregnant."

"Hmph," Alison scowled, though not in a very convincing manner.

"So, let me see if I have this straight," Keiko spoke up again, "You're worried that your half-sister, who is more Kryptonian than you, could wind up falling prey to the Mistress?"

"Well, wouldn't you be?" Alison replied, "The thing about Martha is she can be a little bit...headstrong, know what I mean? She thinks that, just because she's one of the toughest ladies on the planet, that she doesn't have a whole lot to fear from any run-of-the-mill bad guy..."

"But Lao isn't exactly ordinary," Akane realized, "And you think she might not realize just how dangerous she can be, huh?"

"Well, don't get me wrong about this," Alison explained, "I know my big Sis can be pretty...resourceful when she has to be, but...she's only into this Superheroing thing on a part-time basis these days. She says her private identity as the CEO of a Multimedia Publishing Industry takes up way too much time for her to be running around the world chasing down bad guys. I'm afraid that she's out of practice and might get a little...sloppy..."

"And if there is one certainty in this world," Kodachi summarized, "It is that one should never underestimate an Amazon, especially THIS particular Amazon, who has made it abundantly clear in the past that she can resist anything except temptation..."

"And boy," Keiko remarked as she thought back to her own first impressions on seeing Martha, "That sister of yours makes for a LOT of temptation. I just hope the Mistress doesn't bite off more than she can chew this time..."

"I sure hope not," Alison smacked herself on the forehead, "Why couldn't I have thought twice before calling on her? If only I knew what my other sister, Lyta, is doing these days, but she kind of dropped out of sight after getting involved in that Infinity Incorporated mess about a decade back..."

"What about your Mother?" Beatrice suggested, "She seems to be far more capable of dealing with magical situations."

"You think I want Mom to stick her neck out in some damned Tiger's lair, with her history around bondage?" Alison sniffed, "Think again! Besides...she and Martha don't exactly get along too well...it's kind of a messy situation..."

"They don't get along?" Akane blinked, "Why?"

"Because Mom's a Pagan and Martha's a mainstream Christian-type," Alison shrugged, "Doesn't really make all that much sense to me. I mean...Martha knows that the ancient Gods of Greece are real and all that, but she tends to be suspicious of anything supernatural that doesn't have a cross hanging from it. That's why she never let Mom teach her the oriental wisdom of I Ching to help her cope with magical stuff, like Dad now does. Hooboy...Dad! If he finds out about this...if anything happens to Martha...he's gonna hit the ceiling big time!"

"Let's hope that it doesn't come down to that," Kodachi averred, "But if does come to a crisis situation, well...no offense to your sister, but I would put my money with the Mistress..."

A Kryptonian, even a half-breed like Martha herself, had the amazing power of oxygen retention that went well beyond the normal biochemical processes of the average respiratory system. It was possible for them to survive on a single breath of air for well over an hour without ill effects, which was handy when it came to investigating the underwater damages sustained by the vessel currently resting in drydock. It liberated Martha from such encumbrances as having to wear a bulky air tank system as she made a close-up inspection of the blast damage, attempting to determine if her theory was right as to the nature of explosive that could create such a huge rupture. It would take several hours for the dock to finish draining once all the bracing was in place, and Martha was in a hurry.

Among her various visual enhancements was the ability to "focus" her eyes on some microscopic point with the power of a 4000x magnifying lens, a handy thing when it came to studying the unique molecular imprint of various chemical compounds that she had memorized in her days as a full-time heroine. Helena had always stressed the importance of knowing one substance on sight from another, and having the abilities of a human crime lab certainly did come in handy in that department. Given all that, there were enough residual traces of the explosive (not yet corroded by seawater) to conclude what type of explosive had been used, and from there to deduce the likely means of conveyance, at which point she narrowed things down and eliminated her first hypothesis (that it had been un unexploded mine from the World War Two era) and settled on her second hypothesis...that the explosion was indeed the work of a torpedo.

Given the placement of the blast, and her somewhat extensive knowledge of munitions, it was easy to deduce that the torpedo was of Russian manufacture, most likely a surplus relic dating from the Cold War, and that it had packed sufficient force to more than cripple the liner, though why it had been fired in the first place was not so easily determined. Since only one type of vessel tended to use such things, it was logical to deduce that a submarine had been in the waters and was the likely perpetrator. That only left the question of why a Russian, Chinese, or possibly North Korean submarine would fire a torpedo in anger on a civilian ship. To answer that question she was going to have to do some more investigating, and preferably at the original point where the incident had happened.

That being decided, Martha exited the damaged hull and broke the surface of the water, emerging out of the drydock as she levitated back to a reasonably dry area, pausing only to shake loose the residual moisture that slid off of her invulnerable body. She landed beside the Captain and immediately reported to him, "I think I know what caused the explosion, but I'm going to have to ask if I can see your log so I can trace things back to the source. I trust that your radioman had the presence of mind to mark your location?"

"Of course, it's standard procedure," the Captain replied as he gave a sad-eyed glance at his once-proud ship, now resting within a Taiwanese shipyard, "It's the least I can do after the way you brought us here in under two hours. Such an amazing achievement..."

"Not really," Martha shrugged modestly, though privately she thought that her father would be proud of her. Even though he could have covered the same distance of ocean in one tenth of the time by carrying the ship to safety, Martha's own achievement had been nonetheless quite impressive, achieving as she did a velocity of over a hundred and fifty knots easy. Perhaps her powers had not so badly atrophied over the years through periodic disuse. Her father had always said that she would grow stronger as she got older, and now that she was in her late thirties...

She broke off that line of thought, not wanting to remind herself of her current lifestyle, or lack thereof. Two more years and she would turn forty, and what did she have to show for herself? One broken marriage and a daughter who had gone off to college, and a business that now took much the major portion of her life, also a legacy she had inherited from her father.

She was still grumbling over that a few minutes later as she headed back out to sea to find the coordinates that had been logged by the ship's radioman when he sent out the SOS, complaining bitterly as she went about how dull and uneventful her life had become of late, more a routine than a genuine adventure. Not at all like things had been for her in her younger days, when life seemed like one gigantic riddle to be solved with so many causes to be championed, back when being a Superheroine meant something, back when life really mattered and thoughts of finding 'the right man' had been the great obsession of her life.

Well, the 'Right Man' had certainly come along, and she had even married the guy, only to have that marriage crumble after only a decade together. Life could really be unfair sometimes, and the men she had dated since her divorce had become final were a string of unending disappointments. Sometimes she had even resorted to courting men who were also in 'the business' of Superheroics, but they often proved to be an even bigger disappointment than the Mundane types she flirted with in her 'secret identity.' Over time she just found herself less and less interested in forcing the issue and had turned instead towards her business interests in order to find the fulfillment that her life was otherwise lacking.

She had, at first, briefly retired from the trade almost twenty years ago in order to give birth to her only daughter, but now her beloved 'baby' girl seemed hell-bent and determined to drive her mother crazy through one 'lifestyle change' right after another. If it wasn't dating an Andromedan and winding up with a tattoo (and how the heck did one put a tattoo on a Kryptonian, let alone all that body piercing!) it was suddenly up and announcing to her mother that she had determined that she was a Lesbian, and then began that torrid affair with the daughter of Doctor Polaris (frankly, Martha had never seen the attraction). Then it was all those CAUSES that Joan would embrace like they were the flavor of the month...in Martha's day a cause at least meant something! About the only cause that Joan refused to have anything to do with were the Young Republicans (she tended to think of them as a minor league bunch of Supervillains) and anything that had anything to do with mainstream religion! And then there was that hero-name that Joan had adopted, 'Rad,' that and the costume she had chosen to wear, like it came out of an alternative comic book or something! That alone almost gave her mother epileptic fits just thinking about it!

And to think, normal 'Mundane' mothers only had to worry about their children taking drugs and joining gangs...as if Martha could ever be so lucky...!

Such were the state of her thoughts as she sought to gain altitude for a little 'sub-orbital mini-jaunt' that would cut her flight time down to just a couple of minutes, that she utterly failed to take notice of an oddly rolling cloud-bank that faintly appeared on the horizon. It was still many hours away from reaching the Taiwanese port, but little did Martha suspect that her intended quarry was passing by directly below her moving in the opposite direction, protected from normal visual observation by a curious quasi-dimensional inversion that could only have been penetrated if Martha had been looking directly towards it.

That she did not notice that her quarry was headed for the very same port where she had dry-docked the passenger vessel was a significant detail that would not occur to her until sometime later, but of course this was of no immediate relevance at all to Madam Lao, who at that very moment had her own hands full just seeing to the needs of slightly less than two thousand unanticipated 'house guests,' though if she had chanced to glance skyward she might have sensed a propitious omen of what significantly was about to happen...

"There now," Lao said to her latest of many patients, "No problems in your eyes, you don't seem to be experiencing a concussion. Just a few bumps and bruises, young lady, nothing that won't fix itself in time with a little rest and care."

"Thank you, Captain-san," the teenaged girl smiled pleasantly, "You are most kind. I was just a little careless in making my descent down those stairs..."

"I'd call getting almost trampled by a panicking mob more than a simple act of carelessness," Lao chided, "You're lucky not to have been hurt much worse than you are...but I think you'll be fit enough to debark when we reach port in a few more hours."

She turned away from the profusely grateful young girl, hiding a predatory smile as she contemplated the subliminal suggestion that she had surreptitiously implanted in the girl's subconscious. Lao had made a cursory inspection of the girl's thoughts and had determined her suitability to be 'educated' at some later time and place, one of fifty-or-so other young women who had been so designated by Lao and her minions during the rescuing process. She was young, impressionable, had few dependents, was traveling with her guardian and was of an age and temperament where training in the 'Arts' would likely yield great promise. That Lao was not intending to Poach the girl right then and now was a minor technicality...the point was that these girls had been 'marked' and could be picked up at a later time was all that truly mattered. Even her formidable husband could not fault Lao for using such discretion in selecting her future targets. Girls such as these showed great potential as courtesans, and it would be far easier to get away with claiming them if Lao took her time and did not try to rush matters in such a way that blame would inevitably fall upon her shoulders.

Besides, Lao had already decided that a rescue mission of this magnitude was more of an occasion to grain 'Brownie' points in the good deed department of public relations. Sometimes showing off her 'benevolent' side was smarter tactically than using expediency to achieve the results that she was after. The girl would have time to put her affairs in order, let everyone know that she was expecting to leave her home town 'for a bit,' then quietly vanish into the night when Lao or her agents finally came calling. Best of all, the girl might even think it was her own idea for picking up on Lao's 'suggestion,' so this really was a win-win scenario to her larcenous way of thinking.

Lao took notice of the fact that her own Quartermaster, Lucy, was standing nearby with her ever-present log-books and stylus. Lao had a fair idea of what the woman would say to her but gave her permission anyway with a slightly exasperated, "What is it now, Lucy?"

"Mistress," Lucy indicated her open ledgers and said, "I have conducted a quick survey of the requirements of our guests and have concluded that these people will soon be eating us out of house and home if we don't land them somewhere, and quickly."

"Are our food stores so limited?" Lao asked, "I had not been aware of any shortages until now..."

"Mistress," Lucy said, "We are low on citrus fruits and numerous vegetables, and the medical supplies that we are using up at an alarming rate would constitute our yearly supplies under even the most advantageous situations. We are also fast using up our stores of clean blankets and bedding and may soon have to house some of these people in the unused holds, which could lead to some awkward...questions about what we are doing with those holds currently occupied by cargo..."

"I get the point," Lao nodded, "I'm having our people confine these folks to just the decks cleared for regular tourists. When we hit port I'll send some people ashore with you to pick up the supplies of whatever we need. I'll also off-load a few slaves to help pay for the costs...might as well make a profit while we're visiting the Taiwanese port ahead of or normal schedule..."

"I take it you have already selected the girls whom you are training for your clients in Taipei?" Lucy inquired.

"I think you already know the ones who will bring a good price on the market," Lao shrugged, "Make the arrangements you need and organize a supply party. I think I'll even grant some shore leave to a few of the girls just to make it seem as though we are ordinary merchants just conducting our routine business."

"Very good, Mistress," Lucy nodded, "I will attend to these matters at once."

The Quartermaster turned away to leave just as Nabiki arrived, dressed in a pair of cut-off-shorts and a light T-shirt while being escorted by two of Lao's Undine servants. Lao smiled when she saw the younger girl and said, "Ah...Tendo-san...or should that be Saotome now? My servants informed me that you wished to see me?"

Nabiki scanned the crowded main deck of the POJ, taking notice of the dozens of obviously sick and injured being attended to, then said, "Keeping you busy playing Good Samaritan?"

"Busy enough," Lao replied, "And there's not exactly a law against helping ordinary people, is there?"

"No," Nabiki replied, "I'm just wondering what you get out of playing hero. I can't say the role really suits you..."

"Aw, I am so very sorry to hear you say that, Nabiki-chan," Lao smiled indulgently, "It might surprise you to know that I do have my humanitarian impulses. True, they often tend to get set aside when a matter of business should arise, but I was trained in basic healing by my Aunt Comb long before I became an exile, and I simply cannot abide seeing an innocent person suffering while I can do something to alleviate their suffering..."

"Unless, of course, you're the one who got them that way to begin with," Nabiki noted.

"Well, that does go without saying," Lao conceded, "So...what can I do to you? Um...I mean...for you, since you're taking time away from your loved ones to be here?"

"I just want to know what you plan on doing with us," Nabiki said flatly, "With all of us, including these people."

"Well, these people are going to go back on shore just as soon as I can arrange it," Lao replied, "But as for you and the others...that is an interesting question. I don't suppose that I could talk you into taking an extended pleasure cruise with us as I transport you to your original destination in Australia?"

"No," Nabiki dead-panned, "I don't think that would be too prudent."

"Such a pity," Lao sighed, "And here I was so looking forward to spending more time visiting with my cousins, especially since we now have so much in common. I don't often get to see family with whom I am still on speaking terms, let alone such delightful company as Shampoo and Perfume-chan..."

"What do you mean...you have so much in common?" Nabiki frowned, and if she had been the thing she feared the most (other than a bill collector) her ears would have flattened at that moment.

"Can't you guess?" Lao leered, "We all three have been screwed around by our great-grandmother, Cologne, the current Matriarch of our people. You already know what my beef with her is, but the recent revelations concerning the issue of Lotion and Cologne's manipulations of the truth in that regard...shocking. Added to that are the other secrets that great-grandmother has been hiding all this time and...well...you can see what I mean about having so much in common."

"All right," Nabiki growled, "Suppose I buy that. What guarantee would any of us have that you won't revert to type and try and turn the lot of us into more of your mindless love-slaves?"

"My women are hardly mindless," Lao sniffed, "Honestly, whatever gave you that impression?"

"The fact that you play around with their minds and can manipulate their thoughts at your discretion," Nabiki ticked off with one finger, "The fact that freedom of choice with you is never really free, and that you treat these people like they're your property, to do with as you see fit..."

"All right," Lao conceded, "I suppose, by your lights, that what I do can seem harsh, cruel and coercive, but you know that I would never willingly inflict genuine harm or suffering to my people, no matter what else you may believe of me. I am not the very devil personified, I'm just a business woman who likes to have some fun on the sidelines, and what is the harm in that?"

"The harm," Nabiki said carefully and precisely, "...Is that you're warping these young girls into a reflection of your twisted fantasies. How can I believe anything that you say when you treat even those closest to you like they were playthings? In fact, if anything, you remind me of..." she paused.

"Yes?" Lao arched an eyebrow, "You were about to compare me to my great-  
grandmother, correct?"

"H-Hai," Nabiki responded, surprised at being so anticipated.

"It may surprise you to know this, but I do not actually hate my great-  
grandmother," Lao replied, "I am very much aware that some of my actions come perilously close to being like those of an Elder, but that is the nature of the Tribe that I have created here on my ship, a sort of 'Amazons in Exile' kind of deal with myself, Blossom and Lotus forming its center. They are my two closest friends, the ones who willingly followed me into exile after helping me to rescue my son, Breeze, from the Musk Dynasty fortress that once had been my prison. I love them very much, bumbling and well-intentioned as they may be, and one could hardly ask for companions half so loyal. Yes, I do subject them to my own perverse whims and intentions, but you won't find either of them complaining about it, and I assure you that this is NOT because either one of them is brainwashed. Is it really so surprising to you to conceive that anyone might willingly be a part of my crew because the actually WANT to be here?"

"Ah...well..." it was Nabiki's turn to falter. "Yes."

"I think I see what your problem is," Lao mused, "You are a very paranoid and self-possessed individual who believes that she must always be in control, that surrendering this control will make you less of a person, possibly even a victim. You find it difficult, if not impossible, to understand the mentality of a submissive, one who willingly submits herself to the will of another."

"Well..." Nabiki actually thought about it for a moment. "Yes."

"Do you think that a person who voluntarily submits to the will of another is any less a person than one who demands to always have her own way?" Lao persisted, "Now who is limited in their thinking?"

"Look," Nabiki frowned, "Like I said before, I'm not here to argue the merits or lack thereof of your business, but I want to make it clear that my family and I are strictly off-limits..."

"Are you so certain that this is what you want?" Lao asked, "Would it be at all possible for me to challenge you into putting your resolve to the ultimate test?"

"What? Challenge?" Nabiki blinked.

"Simply put," Lao smiled, "You willingly submit yourself to me for a week and allow me to work my will upon you, and if-at the end of the week-you have not willingly given in nor accepted me as your Mistress, then you will be free to go without constraint nor hesitation."

"Are you crazy?" Nabiki all but blurted, earning curious looks from the various people being treated on the main deck, "No, scratch that! You are crazy! I'd never willingly submit myself to you..."

"Is that a counter-challenge I hear you offering?" Lao mused coyly, "Be mindful, we have a truce between us that lasts for as long as you and your people do not attempt to cause me any trouble. I will abide by this truce because it is the will of my husband, who wants you treated fairly and returned to your home in good order. I am not asking that you trust me completely and without reservations, only that you put your resolve to the test since you seem to think that I am some kind of a monster. In truth my husband is THE Monster, but you will never find a man more honorable nor-ahem-upright."

"I just don't get you," Nabiki shook her head from side to side, "You're challenging me to let you torture me for a week, and you actually think that isn't a truce violation?"

"Not at all," Lao replied, "I won't even use my most coercive methods, and I'll abstain completely from using any and all of my mind-tricks to-as you would put it-brainwash you. I will only use soft methods of calculated persuasion...YOU will do the rest for yourself, little girl, and learn to appreciate what I offer, and-what is more-you will LIKE it. No, more than that, you will even thank me for your lessons when this is over."

"Not a chance," Nabiki snorted.

"Suit yourself," Lao made a waving gesture, "But the offer is open any time you wish to take it. I am only seeking to impress on you that I really not such a bad person, when you get to know me."

"Yeah, right," Nabiki dismissed, "I'll believe that when I believe in Elvis sightings..."

"By the way," Lao gracefully changed the subject, "I've been meaning to ask you...how does that darling husband of yours truly feel about you always seeking to one-up him? I've noticed that he's been more willing of late to demand co-  
equal billing, though I confess that I never imagined that he would go as far as he did in attempting to please you..."

Nabiki furiously tried not to blush at the suggestive hint in that comment, but her mind immediately flashed back to when Ranma had rear-mounted her in her male aspect, a gesture as wholly unexpected as it was surprisingly...pleasant...

"That's...none of your business!" Nabiki flared and started to turn around when Lao stopped her once again with an even more casual comment.

"By the way," the Pirate Queen said, "The shorts and shirt are a loan, but I expect you will discard them when you return to the Harem. I really must insist upon maintaining the dress code. You understand why, don't you?"

"Because you like getting your cheap thrills by watching us parade ourselves in the all-together?" Nabiki snapped.

"Well, there is that," Lao admitted slyly, "But the real reason is simple...all my women are equal in status. There can be only one Mistress in my Harem, but by removing all physical obstacles, save for chains of pleasure, I remind everyone that they sisters of one skin, one flesh. I am first among equals within my own Seraglio...and perhaps you will understand that one day when you settle down with your own harem. It's so nice to relax in an environment of comity without any impediment to physical cohabitation."

Nabiki offered no response to that, but she scowled mightily as the Undine escorted her back into the hold of the ship.

"Ah...Tendo-chan," Lao mused to herself with naked lust in her expression, "You have no idea what fun awaits you. Ah, to be young and naïve like that once again..."

"Mistress?" Lotus asked, having taken that moment to approach her captain.

"Ah," Lao acknowledged her pink-haired Second Officer with a smile, "Just reminiscing. There are time when Nabiki-chan reminds me so much of what I was like when I was her age...if I had only known what life held in store for me back then..." she shook her head in rue.

Lotus thought back to what her current Mistress had been like ten years ago, back when all three of them-Lao, Lotus and Blossom-had been prisoners held in bondage by the then-owner of the POJ, a cruel and cunning man who had used them poorly, right up until he saw the chance at offering Lao what he termed as 'her freedom' by playing him a card game with the POJ as the ultimate prize for the winner. To even Lao's own surprise she won, and promptly gained possession as the new owner of a cursed Junk whose ghosts were still quite living. Of course the former owner's sense of joy at being 'liberated' had come to a bad end-as had the man himself, and rightfully so-but it still served to remind Lotus how much her friend and now-Captain had changed over the years since gaining this vessel.

The Lao who was had been young, naïve and idealistic, not at all the seasoned and cynical leader that she was today, and beyond question it would have appalled the 'Lao who Was' to see what she would become after ten years as the POJ's undisputed Mistress. Most likely the two of them would have come to blows over the slave issue, which did indeed remind Lotus very much of some of those same noble traits that were in evidence around Nabiki.

Aloud what she said was, "I fear there may be trouble, Mistress. Tendo-san does not hide the fact that she is plotting your downfall."

"I know that she is thinking about giving my presence away to the authorities," Lao replied, "But she will not act so long as there is even the potential of collateral harm befalling her loved ones. I hold their safety no less high than my own welfare, but if Nabiki acts improperly, no matter what her reasons, then I will be prepared to respond accordingly, exactly as the situation dictates."

"I see," Lotus replied, "So...should we be making preparations just in case Tendo-san and her family will be making an extended stay?"

"I'd say be ready...just in case it becomes necessary," Lao said slyly, "But let the first move be hers to make. No one will hold me to blame if the first one to fire a shot is Nabiki instead of myself, and besides...there is something else I seek to learn from them before we allow them to depart our fair company."

"And...this is?" Lotus hesitated, knowing that she was being overbold to even ask the question.

"Saotome Ranma," Lao smiled a tigerish smile, "He holds the secret of a new technique that I am very much interested in learning. This Kamasenken of his...I see in it great potential..."

"Potential for mischief, Mistress?" Lotus asked.

"Is there any other kind around here?" Lao replied, and chuckled softly at her own private humor...

Now this was passing odd, thought Martha to herself as she surveyed the blue ocean far below her, scanning the area until she took note of a peculiar dark shape resting on the bottom of said ocean, clear enough for her vision to make out distinctive details that more than fit the bill for her submarine thesis. The submarine had North Korean markings and a distinctive shape that suggested its Russian origins, of a type and size that was unmistakably cold war era attack boat, listed by NATO as 'Whiskey' class, but certainly not intended for depths lower than a mile, which was where it was presently resting.

As she studied the layout of the wreckage it had become obvious that the sub had neither exploded nor suffered from depth crush, though it clearly had been crushed as though a pair of massive hands had gripped it and applied unbelievable pressure to the hull. An explosion would have spread things outward, and the metal was clearly twisted in an inward manner, much like a tube that had been twisted in the hands of a giant. Given the state of the wreckage, and the obvious lack of rust or decay, it appeared to have taken place fairly recently, such as within the last few hours.

She debated giving the sub a closer inspection but decided that she had taken enough swimming lessons for one afternoon. Her mission was to find out where the passengers had gotten off to, and to discover the whereabouts of that phantom ship that looked like a Chinese Junk from the pre-Han era. To do that she needed to remain airborne in order to select a likely direction that the ship might have taken.

And there hung the problem that was presently facing her...which way to look for a mysterious 'ghost ship' that could appear and disappear like a phantom? Especially one large enough to house seventeen hundred passengers and less essential crewmen? More to the point, which direction to turn before she ran out of air and had to return to a glide orbit that would carry her back into the atmosphere? From where she currently floated there were hundreds of possible directions from which to choose...so, which one would be the likeliest to head follow?

Oh well, as her friend Helena was wont to say, the best detectives always followed their hunches, and while she was no where near in the class of her fellow superhero turned District Attorney, Martha had learned the value of going with her hunches.

Now, where did one find a 'Flying Dutchman of the Orient' like this ship was described as being? According to the rumors that she had gathered from the crew, such a vessel had been seen plying its trade along the travel routes of both the Sea of Japan and China, though this most recent sighting was said to be a bit south of its normal routes. The problem was that this ship was alleged to be some type of modern day pirate vessel, and who believed in pirates of that sort in this day and age? (Of course several previous encounters with self-  
described pirates did spring to mind, but those cases had been solved ages ago, or so Martha had preferred to believe until the present.) And the rumor that this pirate could barely be seen as more than a cloud of fog traveling over the surface of the water...

Huh?

A cloud of fog? A sudden flash of memory drew her mind back by a quarter of the hour to when she had been gaining altitude with the ocean vanishing below her. There had been a shadow on the surface of the water that had been logged by her subconscious, and having the power of total recall at her disposal allowed her to replay those memories now, a cloud that was moving against the wind and the direction of the water as though possessed of a mind of its own. Such suspicious things were the sort of anomaly that a superhero was supposed to keep an eye out for, and she mentally kicked herself for not noticing it in the first place.

Well, no harm done, and she still had enough air in her lungs to sustain her on a leisurely glide back into the atmosphere, and since that meant angling her descent to move against the Earth's rotation, that would save her a lot of the fuss and the bother. With any luck she could catch up with the ship while it was at sea in another ten minutes, and then she'd find out just what sort of a phantom she was dealing with, and maybe have some answers, one way or another...

"Ah, what a day," Lao mused as she returned to the bridge, "So many interesting challenges yet to face, and it's not even past four thirty. How soon until we reach Taipei, Galena?"

"Four more hours at our present course and speed, Mistress," the officer of the watch replied, "With assist from the Kraken we are making good progress, and at our present rate of progress we will arrive just after sunset, when the twilight gleam will dim our image profile to near invisibility, as you have commanded."

"Excellent," Lao smiled, "There will be enough questions to have to answer just delivering our guests to port, and bribing the customs officers is bound to be expensive. I don't think I can rely too heavily on my political ties to cover our tracks for an operation this huge. Seventeen hundred people being successfully transported to shore is the sort of thing that could draw unwanted publicity...but if I wanted to leave a quiet, safe life, I'd still be living in a hut back in China."

"As you say, Mistress," the Helmswoman responded, "By the way, you have a call on line one...she's been waiting for the past several minutes, and it is a collect call, so..."

"A collect call?" Lao smacked herself on the forehead with the back of one hand, "Oh no! Kei-chan, I completely forgot! You should have told me about it at once that she had called again..."

"Our apologies, Mistress," the Helmswoman bowed, "We had trouble locating you, but when we heard that you were returning to the bridge we asked Keiko-san to hold her call until we could inform you."

"I'll discipline you for this later," Lao replied as she picked up the phone that was near to her command chair, "Mushi-Mushi...Keiko-chan, are you there?"

"Mistress?" the familiar voice of the redhead replied, "Thank the Kami! Listen...if Nabiki and the others are there, are they all right? What the hell happened to her ocean liner? Who was in that sub that fired on them? And...not to criticize or anything...but...what are your plans for them, Mistress?"

"Slow down, Kei-chan," Lao smiled affectionately, "You don't need to call me Mistress anymore, Kodachi-chan is your new owner. Just call me 'My Lady,' so...in answer to your questions, yes, Nabiki and her loved ones are all safe and happy on my ship, along with the excess crew that survived the blast, which was caused by a torpedo...but...how did you know that a sub fired on them and not me?"

"Please Mis...um...My lady," Keiko stumbled over the change in terms, which brought another smile to her former 'Mistress,' "I know for a fact that you'd never fire on civilians without cause. You are many things, but you're no mass murderer, and you do have enemies that more than easily fit the bill..."

"Thank you for the vote of confidence, darling," Lao replied, "But why don't you tell me the real reason that you know about the submarine?"

"Um...well..." Keiko hesitated, "It's just...I have this friend of mine...and we were sort of spying on Nabiki and the others..."

"A friend...who can spy on a cruise ship while it's out to sea?" Lao raised a pale blue eyebrow.

"That and she was sort of recording things when the ship got hit," Keiko added, "In fact, she's right here and I've told her all about you and...oh...here, she wants to speak with you herself, my lady."

"Well, put her on," Lao smiled, "Someone who can spy on a ship from wherever it is you are now is someone I'd like to one day meet in person."

"That can be arranged," a sultry feminine voice-very different from Keiko's own-replied in answer to that statement, "May I assume that I have the honor of speaking to one Lao Khan, former Amazon and mistress of the ship known as the Floating Piece of Junk, or POJ for short?"

"Indeed," Lao replied, "And who have I the curious honor of addressing?"

"That is not material for now," the speaker replied, "But know that I presently bear you no ill intentions. I am merely concerned, as are the others gathered with me, to know what fate has befallen our comrades, to say nothing of seventeen hundred of innocent people?"

"I see," Lao smiled, "Well, you don't need to worry yourselves. I'm planning on delivering them to the nearest safe port so that they can be about their business, which was so rudely interrupted, though through no ill intentions on my part. As for Nabiki and the others...well...I have made room for them within my Harem but have imposed few restrictions and am treating them as my guests. There is no need to be concerned for their immediate welfare...in fact, I've even helped in the safe delivery of Kuonji Ukyo's brand new daughter."

"Ukyo-chan had her daughter...already?" another voice that Lao placed immediately as Akane interrupted, demonstrating to Lao that the parties with whom she was in contact were on a speaker phone system of some type, "How is she? Did they name the baby yet?"

"Not that I've heard so far," Lao replied, "But we have been a bit busy helping out survivors from the liner. Things have been a bit hectic, but my people will inform me if there are any complications..."

"Complications?" said a male voice, one Lao believed that she recognized as belonging to the boy named Ryoga, "What complications?"

"I'm just speaking metaphorically," Lao assured them, "I've no reason to expect any problems. By the way...do I take it that you were spying on Nabiki and the others while they were engaged in some rather...personal activities?"

"You may assume that, Mistress Lao," replied Kodachi, "But then again, the same could be implied about your rather prompt arrival on the scene, ne?"

"Quick witted as always, Kuno-chan," Lao smiled, "I guess then we've all been naughty in one sense or another..."

"Cut the crap," someone unfamiliar cut in, "Listen...Lao is it? We've got a real situation on our hands, so you'd better listen up or there's gonna be trouble."

"I'm listening," Lao sharpened her tone by a fraction, "That almost sounded like a threat. Are you also a friend of Nabiki's?"

"You could put it like that, yeah," the speaker responded, "But the thing is...we've got somebody coming out to meet with you who doesn't know about you on first sight, but I think it would be a really good idea if you treat her nicely and don't give her any good reasons to get angry."

"To get angry?" Lao replied, "Why? Is she someone important whom I ought to respect?"

"You'll know as soon as you see her," the voice on the other end replied, "Just watch what you say, and no cracks about her hips. She's kind of touchy about that..."

"I see," Lao said, "So do I take it that you're the younger sister of whoever it is who is coming to pay me a visit?"

"Huh?" the voice on the other end replied, "How could you know that?"

"Because you sound like a younger sister," Lao replied, "And only a little sister would make cracks about her big sister's waistline. By the way, your voice seems somehow familiar...didn't we meet a while ago at the hospital when my cousin Shampoo was having her baby?"

There were some tittering noises in the background, and obviously the friends of the speaker did not mind having a little fun at her expense, but then everyone sobered and Lao said in a calmer and more rational tone of voice, "Alison Kane Managi, is it not? That was the name I remember hearing back at the hospital...and I take it the other speaker is Beatrice Kane Daitokuji?"

"So you found us out," Alison replied, "Then you ought to be smart enough to realize what you'll be up against as soon as my big sister comes calling."

"Your big sister, eh?" Lao mused, "Yes...I think I have some idea what I would be up against, and I thank you for the timely warning. I'll try and be polite to your Oneechan when she pays me a visit...and don't worry...I'd never let a friend of Keiko's down...at least if it can be avoided."

"Just be careful, lady," Alison replied, "You don't know my sister like I do...she can pretty opinionated sometimes, but she means well, mostly."

"I think I understand you," Lao smiled, "She sounds like someone I might actually like to meet. Well...at any rate, I'll go and prepare an extra space at my dinner table."

"Madam Lao," Beatrice remarked, "I most certainly hope that you are not intending any mischief."

"I'll get back to you on that," Lao said, "Call me back in an hour and I'll try and give you an answer. Just try to stay calm while I go see to preparing my welcome. Lao out."

She set down her phone then turned to the officer on duty, "Stay on course until further notice. I'm expecting company at any minute."

"Very good Mistress," the officer replied, "All will be as you command it."

"Yes," Lao mused, "Which is how it ought to be...but it seems that I must take special precautions to insure our guest does mind her manners."

"I see," the officer nodded, "Then shall we inform the chef that you will be receiving extra dinner guests at the table tonight, Mistress?"

"Don't bother," Lao said slyly, "I've already taken measures to insure that my other guests will be...sufficiently entertained...while I tend to this new bit of business..." and the devious gleam in her now-golden eyes made those who witnessed it share a collective shudder of anticipation, knowing that whatever their Captain had cooked up was bound to be deliciously wicked...

Nabiki was still grumbling to herself after returning the "loaned" T-shirt and shorts to a waiting attendant, sullenly resolving to one day make Lao pay for the indignity of having to traipse around in her ship in the all-together. Though not officially a prisoner, she certainly felt like one having armed escorts who followed her at a somewhat discreet distance. The Undines were polite and deferential companions, but they looked heavily armed and ready for trouble, and-having fought with their kind before-Nabiki knew it was futile to attempt to physically overpower them. When struck by a fist they tended to dissolve into water and could immobilize a foe by swarming in all around them.

Besides, she was rather fond of her female shape and had no great urgent need to return to her male aspect. It was diabolical to think that the lady pirate's control over the element of water could be so absolute that she could sex-change Nabiki at a single moment's notice. About the only way for her to combat these water-based attacks was to refer to her Chi-based powers, and some of those moves tended to be pretty spectacular ones, not the sort of thing you would prefer to unleash while on board a sailing vessel, even one as resilient as the POJ. The last time she had done so, everyone on board had briefly gone swimming.

And that was the real reason that Nabiki was reluctant to start anything on board Lao's vessel...the children might get caught in the crossfire. Lao's assurances that babies took to water with a natural instinct borne of months in the womb notwithstanding, the last thing Nabiki wanted to do was test out that theory on her own infant daughter, and she doubted that Ukyo would appreciate it any better if they all had to make a sudden scramble for a life-raft. Try as she might there was no getting around the fact that Lao had them all collectively by the short hairs, and as long as the situation remained this way there was nothing to be done but to trust to the renegade Amazon to keep her word and not stir up any more trouble.

Even so, Nabiki did fume a bit at the implications that Lao had made about testing her in some perverse kind of 'challenge' that came right out of a bondage manga. Nabiki had already seen a sample of what Lao referred to as 'training,' and one did not have to look far to find other such examples as she was lead through one particular chamber in which a dozen naked women were left hanging from the ceiling in various (and rather uncomfortable) positions. The amount of rope being used to suspend these nude beauties would have been sufficient to moor the POJ to a pier, and the fact that these women were very much conscious of their situations left Nabiki with a faint shudder of dismay, imagining herself in such a position and swallowing at the implications. Beyond that, there was no telling if these women were being punished or rewarded, it all being the same thing to Madam Lao's discretion.

Once back at the Harem her two guards fell into previously assumed positions by the door and allowed her to wander freely in the seraglio as though she had every right to be there. Once again Nabiki was struck by the oddly stylish contrast of beautiful wall hangings and silk tapestries framed by translucent handing curtains that petitioned the room into various sections. There were plenty of adornments decorating that part of the chamber that she was in, no doubt the plundered hoard of some long ago raid, either by Lao or one of the ship's previous owners. The atmosphere was warm, casual and relaxed (and relatively dry, considering how many parts of the ship were humid), and the people occupying the room were entirely at ease about their business (said business being anything from reading a book to casually screwing their nearest partner). One naked beauty was playing a harp while her companions accompanied her with the flute and violin, providing background music that pleasantly flavored the air like the warm, heady perfume of incense mixed with feminine arousal.

That was the thing that struck Nabiki immediately upon returning to the harem...how matter-of-fact everyone was about this whole situation, from the girl working a loom to one side, weaving out a silk tapestry of incredible beauty and intricacy, to the nude dancers performing a slow ballet together that was openly seductive and shamelessly flirtatious. There in one corner a blonde cutie was spreading her legs wide while a redhead was busy tonguing her clean shaven sex (and for a moment Nabiki had a flashback image in mind of Alison and Beatrice engaged in such vigorous pastimes) while off on a divan two other girls-another redhead and a dark haired brunette-sat together with the mouths meshing sensitively while their hands were busy playing with each others breasts, and no one even giving them a casual side-glance. It was plain that these women took the act of making love seriously to heart, and yet it was equally clear that sex was as common as a handshake in this fancy love-nest-cum-  
floating-brothel. What an amazing contrast to the way normal Japanese society tended to react to the merest gesture of affection between two people of the same sex, and yet here it was considered the norm, there being no men allowed to lay hands upon the women of this horny henhouse.

And yet for all of that they were SLAVES, property, owned and toyed with at the discretion of their self-described owner. Lao could claim any one of them on a whim and do whatever she found pleasing with their minds and bodies, and yet-  
to go by the testimony of those whom Nabiki had spoken with earlier-these women would not even complain nor raise a fuss at the treatment they were receiving.

Nabiki knew enough from that briefly conducted interview at the birthing pool that these women were-for the most part-highly intelligent and reasonably articulate about their servile status. These were not weak-willed and timid souls who were easily cowed into obeying the whims of a powerful overlord, these were women who honestly believed that they had made a voluntary choice to submit to Lao's authority, and some had even been willing to show Nabiki the 'Ownership Papers' that they had signed in their own handwriting, contracts bestowing upon Lao complete and total possession of their bodies. They had even seemed proud of the fact that they had signed away their individual freedoms, and the mere fact that such contracts were not legally binding in any official sense bothered them not in the slightest. It was as if the question of the legitimacy these contracts were a dead issue that none seemed willing to contest in any way. If anything, they professed to be perfectly happy serving out the rest of their natural lives in Lao's employment, and mention of the word 'freedom' usually brought either laughter or scorn to their otherwise contented features.

And that disturbed Nabiki as much as anything, having been reared to prize freedom as among a person's highest virtues. She did not need to prance around in chains to feel 'sexually liberated,' nor did she feel inclined to join these (extremely) comely girls in their free-flowing sexual antics. Just watching one concubine submitting to a spanking at the hands of another made Nabiki wince in sympathetic reflex, even if she still remembered experiencing the same things at Ranma's hands during the earlier part of the day. If anything these women were much TOO casual about their sexuality, and yet in no sense of the word could one honestly find them as dehumanized or degraded in their self-professed 'lifestyle preference.'

Nabiki had chalked up part of this behavior to a case of classic 'Stockholm Syndrome,' the tendency of prisoners to sometimes identify with their captors, even to come to semi-love or worship those who subjected them to constant humiliation and abuse. Lao obviously did exert a considerable degree of mind-  
control over the emotional responses of her people, and the extent of her perfidy in this area alone was enough to make Nabiki shudder with aversion. By forcing these women to live in the enclosed world of a seraglio, where the alternative to obedience was punishment of an extreme and cunning nature, she had the ideal 'carrot and stick' approach for encouraging compliance, especially since the reward was to live the life of a pampered sex-toy whose pleasures could be unimaginable, even as their punishment for disobedience would no doubt be equally demanding.

Looked at realistically, there was no reason why these women should have complaints about their treatment. Lao obviously lavished a great deal of time and attention on her girls, showering them with every conceivable jewel and bauble that could appeal to a woman's sense of aesthetics. They were fed and sheltered, pleasured and pampered with their every whim attended to in some manner, and all that they had being owed to their nominal owner. What's more they had a kind of 'fellowship' that formed a communal bond, like a village within a village, and even the benefits of a marriage were not denied them, including children. (That last part made Nabiki gasp a little, realizing as she did that Lao had voluntarily used Jusenkyo-styled magics to transform her sex in order to impregnate other women...but how had she done this when she already had the Jusenkyo curse of the Wild Tiger?

It was while thinking on this that Nabiki passed around one curtained tapestry, intending to rejoin her loved ones in the chamber that had been assigned to them, but all at once she found her way blocked by a young girl aged no more than ten or eleven (at most), and who was scowling up at Nabiki with a somewhat furious expression.

"Oh," Nabiki took stock of the girl's blue hair coloration and said, "Ah...Breeze, isn't it? You're Lao's...son?" she hesitated, having all but forgotten that Lao had given her son the Jusenkyo curse of Nyanniichuan before leaving China.

"I won't let you do it," the young girl replied in flawless Japanese.

"Ah...do what?" Nabiki faltered, not expecting such an intensely hostile reaction.

"I won't let you hurt my mother," the girl named Breeze replied.

"Um...well..." Nabiki wondered how to handle this situation, faced with a mere slip of a girl the top of whose head barely came level with her own breastbone.

"I remember you from last time," the girl replied, "You almost hurt my mother. I won't let you do it this time."

"Ahm...kid?" Nabiki stammered, "There seems to be some confusion here. I'm not the one who..."

"Don't lie to me," Breeze replied, "I know Mom rescued you at sea, but you think she did it to force you people to stay with us. Well, you're wrong...Mom isn't like that. She may do stuff that's bad sometimes, but she'd never give you a place in here if she didn't think you were worthy. I'm just telling you that you'd better not do anything to make Mom regret being so generous with you, lady."

"Um...right," Nabiki said, "Consider me sufficiently warned. Now try telling your Mom not to push the issue."

"I'll bet you don't think I can do too much to you," the young girl said belligerently, "But Mom's been teaching me how to fight, and I'll bet I could give even you a good scrap if you give us any trouble..."

Nabiki had no doubt that the young girl was talented, but she also had no intention of being drawn into a fight with someone who was only two thirds of her own age and half her belt size, but before she could think of anything to say to deflect the child's anger, one of the blue skinned attendants fell from the ceiling and reformed in the space beside them, and then said in a casual tone of voice, "Breeze-san...your mother has requested your presence on the main deck. She asks that you join her in greeting a new guest, and she wants you to bring her a present...the jeweled box on the shelf beside the Blue Bed that bears the mark of the emerald dragon. You know the one in question?"

"That box with the green rock in it?" the young girl replied, "Sure...but why does Mom want it?"

"The Mistress did not say," the Undine replied, "But she did request that you be prompt about it. She wishes you to be on the upper deck in no more than the next fifteen minutes."

"All right, I'll go," Breeze replied, "Tell Mom I'll be there in a jiffy," she turned and glared one final time at Nabiki, "You got lucky...next time I won't be so busy."

Nabiki stood where she was with lifted eyebrows giving her an almost comical expression, then she shook her head once the young girl had left her side and said, "This day just keeps getting better and better..."

She continued on until she reached the room assigned to herself and her family unit, but once she stepped past the hanging partition she was greeted by a curious aroma that was mildly arousing and caused a peculiar tingling sensations all along her nerve endings. Accompanied with this, however, was a sight that was altogether unexpected, given the current circumstances under which she and her loved ones were currently living.

Or-given that this was Lao's dominion after all-perhaps this was not such a strange sight to witness after all...it was just amazing to see Ranma with his face buried deep between Shampoo's thighs while Ukyo was sitting on Perfume's face and writhing about how good it felt to be getting another tongue lashing. All four of Nabiki's 'unit' were acting as if it were perfectly natural to be screwing in the middle of the day in the belly of a (technically) hostile vessel, and yet to judge by the profuse groans both Shampoo and Ukyo were making they had clearly been at this sort of thing for more than the past several minutes.

A glance to the side confirmed that both babies were resting together in a large double-sized bassinet that was canopied to protect these children from the odd phosphorescent lighting. Lylac and her newly born 'cousin-sister' were sleeping like (literal) babies and seemed content in the warmth that they shared together just being so near to one another. Only the diaper worn by Lylac (who did seem large next to the other baby) constituted any form of dress for either infant, though they were swaddled in blankets to each side in such a way as to limit the amount of rolling around that either one could do. It fairly amazed Nabiki to take note of the fact that the new child-barely two hours old-had a healthy complexion by now and did not look so ruddy and hairless as she had appeared to be in the bathing pool.

The fact that Ukyo was screwing around with Perfume instead of keeping a watchful eye upon her, however, did faintly alarm Nabiki, enough so that she made her presence known by saying, "What the heck are you people doing?"

"Hmm?" Ranma looked up from where he had been busy giving Shampoo 'the business' and said, "Nabiki? Good, you're back! I thought you'd never get back here!"

"Get back here?" Nabiki blinked, "I've only been gone for about a half an hour! Why are you...?"

"I don't know," Ranma said as he stood up and took Nabiki by the arm with gentle-yet-firm insistence, "But now that you're here, we can really get started."

"Get started?" Nabiki asked, "But..."

"Airen..." Shampoo moved to sit up (albeit somewhat unsteadily) then also reached out a hand to take firm grip of Nabiki's forearm, "We no want get started without you...but you no want keep Shampoo waiting. Shampoo very happy you come to her...now Shampoo make you cum while Ranma-husband give us both much, much pleasures, yes?"

"W-what?" Nabiki blinked her eyes, only to find Ranma wrapping an arm around her waist compelling her to turn round eyes in his direction.

"Shampoo has the right idea...it's time I stop neglecting the both of you and get down to this dutiful husband business," he said, "You both want it as much as me, right?"

"Huh?" Nabiki found her eyes were mesmerized by the obvious lust in her new husband's expression, and before she could think to protest she found herself being drawn into a hot and passionate kiss, even as Shampoo fell to her knees and began licking the exposed space between her Airen's thighs, and all at once Nabiki forgot everything she was about to say as raging hormones took over and did all of her further thinking for the next several hours yet to come...and cum indeed she would, and quite gladly, all thoughts of Madam Lao and her perverse offer falling away as she gave way to the natural ardor she felt for her loved ones, who would skillfully set about to keep her good and thoroughly distracted...

Exactly as intended by..."The Mistress..."

Continued.

Comments/Criticisms/Kryptonian Sex Secrets: shadowmane

Sorry for the delays of the plot, but the Hentai now resumes with a vengeance while Lao entertains a new potential 'client,' and we learn first hand why people with superpowers are often so damned horny and frustrated! Be with us for: "Martha's Tentacle Vineyard" or "How to Lay a Superheroine in 10 easy Lessons!" Be there!

X

If you wish to check out my other works, Please check out my Fanfiction webpage at: . All related chapters of this series can be found there along with my other works.  
/pre 


	6. Chapter 6

preDNabikiTHC6

Nabiki 1/2

"A Very Scary Thought!"

THE HONEYMOON HENTAI CHAPTERS

By Jim Robert Bader

(Inspired by the works of Rumiko Takahashi others,  
including themes and ideas inspired by the combined works of Seigal Shuster, with added thought by Larry Niven)

Part Six.

HENTAI ALERT-THE LEMON-LIME ZONE!  
CONTAINS SCENES OF RAMPANT CARNALITY,  
BISEXUALITY, LESBIANISM, BONDAGE, DISCIPLINE,  
SADO-MASOCHISM, SEXUAL SLAVERY, MATE-SWAPPING,  
SEX-SWAPPING, AND UNNATURAL ACTS PERFORMED WITH THE USE OF A GERBAL. VENTURE NO FARTHER IF YE ARE OF GENTLE TEMPERAMENT AND MODEST PERSUASION, AND DOES YOUR MOTHER KNOW THAT YOU'RE READING STUFF LIKE THIS OFF OF THE NET? YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED!

"I don't believe it," were the first words that Martha had actually uttered in close to an hour, but now that she was back in the atmosphere and could actually speak the words the thoughts just seemed like a natural thing to say, given that she was now hovering over a near-mythical ghost ship that had proven to be almost invisible to her own heightened senses. Only by adjusting her vision to the non-typical ranges of the spectrum did she penetrate the curious dimensional inversion field that surrounded the vessel, but now that she had overcome this obstacle she found that she was indeed looking upon a four hundred foot long Chinese style vessel of a type and class that had not existed since the era of Marco Polo, if not a considerable length further back in time to a point when before the rulers of the Forbidden City had closed their eyes to anything which existed beyond their borders.

Indeed, this ship was exactly of that type and construction, which was curious since the only example that she personally knew about were the skeletal remains of one such vessel unearthed off the coast of California several decades back, a ship that gave evidence to the claim that the Chinese had once been a more enlightened people capable of discovering the "New World." A legendary Chinese explorer named Fu Shen was said to have headed such an expedition nearly twelve hundred years ago, but his ships had been lost in a storm and had never been heard from again, the crews supposedly either lost or absorbed by the native Indian population many centuries before either Leif Erikson or Columbus got the notion to do their own oceanic travels.

That such a ship could even exist in the modern era was astonishing by itself, and this one appeared to be OLD even by her standards. Martha had-during her college years-been something of an archeologist herself on occasions, enjoying the fine art of painstaking excavation of ancient ruins to learn what people were like in some distant, long-ago era (as opposed to Time-Traveling back and finding out first hand, of course, and it didn't hurt her budding "Tomb Raider" reputation that she had a natural advantage in digging for artifacts, being able to spot them in the ground, even while deeply buried). She remembered how much fun it had been spelunking in caves with her friend Helena...

She stifled that thought, not wanting to become too distracted by reminiscing about her misspent youth. She had a job to do and there was no sense wasting time dithering around about it. From what she could see of the vessel, it was not only in service and definitely occupied, but there were people on the main deck being treated for various injuries, and some of the people she could see milling around on the deck did not appear to be human...well, human in shape, perhaps, but rather remarkably blue-tinted and a bit translucent. There were also armed guards standing at strategic points, and-curiously enough-the crew of the ship itself appeared to be entirely female. Not so the passengers, who were the usual mix of male, female, old, young, and invalid...easy to tell one group apart from the other at a glance. Without question these people were the survivors of that nearly crippled ocean liner.

But-odd to notice this-when she tried to scan inside the vessel she found that her visual powers failed to penetrate the hull. There was some kind of shielding...a forcefield, not lead lining, that was blocking her out. Doubtless there had to be more people below decks as the ones on the main decks were considerably fewer than seventeen hundred. She wondered what this ominous impediment might portend then decided to find out by a more direct observation.

That decided she glided in the rest of the way until she was hovering just over the deck, then touched down amidst the astonished passengers, some of whom who recognized her by sight and called out her hero-name as "Power Woman."

Martha winced somewhat upon being reminded of that moniker...a result of her "Empowerment" oriented youth when she had (briefly) championed the cause of what she now termed the "Radical Feminist Agenda." True, when she had first started out in the Superhero game she had been a mere stripling of around seventeen or so, but she had refused to be called a mere "girl" by even her closest friends, considering the term to be sexist and demeaning. By definition she was a woman, so she had insisted on being called a "Power Woman," adopting the feminist ideal of self-empowerment, a fact that-over twenty years later-she found embarrassing beyond the point of reciting "mea culpa."

Resolved to endure one of the legacies of her past, she turned to the nearest of the blue-skinned women and said, "I want to speak with your captain...right now."

"That would be me," a voice hailed out to her, causing Martha to turn around and raise both eyebrows, for the strapping Amazon who approached her was not only dressed like a pirate but had pale sea-green hair, a fact that Martha instantly determined to be her genuine hair color, judging by the lack of residual dye-  
marks in her follicles (and NO, she did not scan her "down there" just to be certain, she most ardently would have proclaimed had anyone been impudent enough to ask her that very question).

"You're the Captain?" Martha said skeptically to a nearly six foot tall woman whose physique was unmistakably hardened to the near-limits of ordinary human perfection, a fact she unconsciously registered as significant by the standards of most people.

"That I am," the woman halted two meters away from Martha and politely bowed from the waist, "I am Lao Khan, of no nationality nor flag. This is my ship, the POJ, from which I plow my trade on the open seas. And you are, I take it, one Power Woman, of American nationality though your father is of the illustrious House of El and Kryptonian by extraction?"

Martha tried not to sound too impressed as she said, "You've done your homework."

"A necessity in my line of work," Lao replied, then indicated the two (noticeably smaller) women flanking her sides, "These are my crewmates, Blossom and Lotus," she indicated a woman with deeper blue hair and a shorter girl whose hair was cherry-pink-also, astonishingly enough-her natural coloration, "Like myself former Amazons from the interior heartland of China. The rest that you see are my people and the unfortunate passengers whom I helped to evacuate from their damaged ocean vessel. I am transporting them to Taipei so that they can receive the appropriate care and housing that they need since my humble ship is ill equipped to sustain them for more than a day or two at most."

"You're performing a Good Samaritan service," Martha said dryly, "But is that your usual profession?"

"Hardly," Lao replied, "Like yourself I am a businesswoman...I only stopped to help these people out of the goodness of my heart, as International law demands and simple human decency would mandate. As you can see, every need is being seen to, within the limits of my power. This has, of course, put a bit of a strain on my crew, but once we reach port we'll be able to replenish our supplies and my crew can have some much-needed short leave."

"Very decent of you," Martha frowned, "But...what did you mean by calling me a businesswoman?"

"Oh please, do give me some credit," Lao's smile took on a more suggestive implication, "You don't want me to reveal that in front of all these civilians, now do you? I believe that you value your double identity far more than that...or am I mistaken in believing you attach to it all that much importance?"

Martha barely concealed her astonishment as she stared in dismay at the lady pirate, then swallowed reflexively and said, "Um...a good point. Is there somewhere private where we can discuss this?"

"This way," Lao indicated that Martha should follow her lead, "My cabin will suffice...I have already prepared a table and was about to enjoy an early dinner when I received word that you were seen approaching my ship. I can always make more space to accommodate a guest, and I'm sure you will find that my chefs are among the finest who ply these eastern seas. Tell me, do you prefer a white or a red wine when dining on Swordfish?"

"Neither at the moment," Martha replied, "I am here on a matter of some personal business..."

"Yes, of course you are," Lao said in an agreeable manner, "You can tell me all about it when we are alone, do come along. I am sure that this will be a most...interesting conversation for the both of us..."

Unseen by either Martha or their captain, Blossom and Lotus exchanged nervous looks between themselves, then dutifully followed the lead of their Mistress, each wondering privately if their Queen was about to hook a live one or be landed herself by the mother of all temptations...

"There's something I don't understand here," Ryonami said, "You say your sister was born from your father's first marriage, but...wasn't her mother...well...you know? Human?"

"Oh yeah," Alison nodded, "Very human, from all that I've heard about the lady. Lois Kent-my Dad's first wife-died when she was almost sixty due to some complications or trauma or something...I never did get too many details about what happened. Heart failure, I think...Dad never could bring himself to talk too much about it. They met back around nineteen thirty-eight, when Dad was first getting started in the Superhero business, only then he wasn't even calling himself Superman. He was just slumming with a summer job as a copy boy for a big paper while working to get into college. it was just before the war started, and my Mom wouldn't even make her appearance until around nineteen forty-two, long after the war got started."

"Wasn't your mother...like...way lots older than your Dad?" Akane wondered.

"Oh yeah, you could say that," Alison sniffed, "About three thousand, two hundred years or so, give or take a leap year...but Mom never did much show her real age, and it's not like she had anything against dating younger men. Take Steve Trevor, her first husband...he died around nineteen sixty-eight when a bullet claimed him, fired off by a real wacko who called herself Doctor Cyber. Mom grieved for ages over him, couldn't even keep up the pretense of young widowhood, which is why my sister Hippolyta got raised on Paradise Island with our grandmother, who also has the same name. Lyta grew up like a more conventional Amazon while Mom went out into the world and sought revenge on Doctor Cyber. It wasn't until years later that she and Dad got serious about each other, after they finally up and admitted that they like each other. I hear stories about their courtship..." Alison shook her head in dismay, "If even half of it was true, then what Bei and I went through sounds almost like a picnic..."

"Indeed?" even Beatrice raised an eyebrow to that, "That must have been some courtship."

"So, your sister Martha is about thirty-eight?" Keiko asked, "How was she born...I mean...how did her mother carry her to term and all that?"

"Well...it wasn't easy," Alison half-smiled in rue, "Like I said before, Dad figured out a way that he and Lois could make out without him accidentally sending her into low earth orbit when he climaxed. He's a pretty good tinkerer and inventor...not quite like Beiko, but smart enough where it counts. He made a bed that could generate the same wavelength as a red sun, which somehow or other cancels out the yellow sun rays that he soaks up like a battery most times..."

"I've done some analysis based on tentative theories formed by your descriptions, Aiko," Beatrice remarked, "There is indeed a latent incompatibility factor between the two levels of Biosolar radiance. No doubt it is the closer of the two sources that counts...a red sun, lacking the same output as a yellow-green star, such as our sun, creates longer frequency pulse waves, and like two bands of radio energy colliding, they tend to interfere with one another and even cancel some of the frequency out. No doubt a bed that generated its own longer wavelength would prevent your father from absorbing excess radiation, perhaps even purging his cells of residual manna build up so that he would be reduced to a far less intense level of energy absorption..."

"Yeah, well, however it works, they manage to have three kids between them, Martha being the youngest," Alison replied, "Of course what you really wanna know is how come Jonathan-my oldest brother-didn't kick his way out of Lois's uterus. Well...like I've said before, a Kryptonian doesn't start out having the strength to push over a small mountain...it takes time before the baby's big enough to be a danger to the mother, and Dad figured out a way of seeing to it that didn't become a problem. He made this harness that Lois had to wear during the second and third trimesters...it also generated Red Sun energy, so Jonathan-and Clark Junior-could be born without too much problem. Martha was kind of a surprise when she came last because Lois was close to menopause, but with the help of the right scientists, she was safely delivered, after which Lois made a point of having her tubes tied."

"Fascinating," Beatrice mused, "Though I have heard all of this before, it still amazes me to think of what a heroic dynasty you hail from, whereas I, sad to say, have a somewhat less illustrious ancestor in my pedigree, one who was the arch-foe of your very own father."

"Yeah, well...your granddad would probable roll over in his grave if he could see the two of us now, huh?" Alison sniffed, "Come to think of it, Dad's still pretty stunned at the thought of me having your baby."

"So, what happened to your brothers?" Ryoga asked.

"Well..." Alison sighed, "Jonathan got killed a while back fighting against some space creep named Holocaust...he left a wife and three kids of his own behind by some Alien chick named Maxima...Dad's still pretty broken up about that. Clark Junior's led a pretty active life of his own...never quite settled down, but I hear he's been a real heartbreaker. He briefly got involved in some Ecological movement and took on the name Defender...he's not much for publicity, but I still think he's one of the good guys, even if some of the stuff he does can be a little bit...illegal..."

"Illegal?" Kodachi asked, "How so?"

"Well," Alison shrugged, "He's been known to take some pretty aggressive stances when it comes to people he views as Corporate Polluters. He's been known to destroy oilrigs or put a halt to timber harvesting in the rain forests...stuff like that. He and Martha can barely even speak to each other in civil terms these days because he's about as left of center as she's off to the right, and hasn't forgiven him for costing her business money when Clark thinks she's gone too far in exploiting the world's natural recourses. He's...kind of passionately committed to the cause these days, thinks people should be living in closer accord to nature..."

"Maybe he's the one we should have contacted to go after Nabiki," Akane suggested.

"Maybe," Alison shrugged, "But I don't exactly know how to get a hold of him these days. He keeps a pretty low profile, and he's trying to avoid getting Dad tangled up in his politics."

"That's something else I've been wondering," Ryonami said, "If America is your father's adopted country, why did he and your mother raise you in Japan?"

"Oh, well...the family moved here a couple decades ago, during the Reagan era," Alison shrugged, "I never did hear all of the facts, but it had something to do with Dad getting fed up with the government trying to pressure him into taking sides in the cold war. Dad was into the whole Glasnost thing a long time before Gorbachev appeared on the scene."

"Indeed," Beatrice nodded, "Your father worked out some sort of private arrangement with the Japanese government, I believe, that allowed him to assume a new identity here after his old secret identity got exposed by the presses."

"That's what they tell me," Alison shrugged, "Dad never really renounced his American citizenship, but I've never been there personally myself, so I think of myself as Japanese, even if I am technically a Gaijin. Beiko here has more Japanese in her than I do..."

"That may be so," Beatrice replied, "But my grandmother was a secretary working for Luthor Industries when she gained the...ahem...attention of her employer. She moved back home before giving birth to my father, who founded the Daitokuji Corporation before meeting my mother and delivering me into the world. Genius tends to run in my family...but so does madness, a fact that I am sometimes reminded of when I contemplate my wasted youth before declaring my love for my Aiko."

"Ah..." Alison colored an appropriate shade of pink, giving her the look of a plump strawberry in the loose-fitting T-shirt that she was currently wearing.

"So...what's likely going to happen with your sister when she meets up with Mistress Lao?" Keiko asked, pausing before adding, "I mean...my lady..."

"Just practice some more, Darling," Kodachi encouraged with a coy expression, "And keep in mind that I am now your one and only Mistress."

Despite herself, Alison could not help smirking as she caught the demure expression of the other redhead, "Heh...well...in answer to your question...I really have no idea. Martha means well, but...well...she is kind of opinionated about some things, and if this Lao character is even half as over the top as you say she is..."

"She might think of her as a Supervillain?" Ryoga suggested.

"Oboy," Ryonami winced, "I just hope Sempai doesn't get caught up in the crossfire between those two ladies. The Kami only know what horrors she and the others are undergoing at this very minute..."

Nabiki was going hog wild running her tongue up and down the delicious slit of her comely wife even as Ranma pounded her from the rear, riding her vagina like she was a bucking brood mare. Shampoo's delighted squeals were muffled by the creamy thighs of an aroused Ukyo, who was halfway braced in the lap of an amorous Perfume, whose hands were molding her wife's breasts as her own swollen nipples rubbed against the shoulderblades of the delighted Okonomiyaki chef, all five of them on the edge of a nerve-rending orgasm that was likely to erupt between them at any moment!

Off to the side a pair of sleeping infants continued on as if blissfully unaware of the frenzied sexual activity that was going on within easy earshot. This was because these contented babies were being carefully scrutinized by attentive Undine servants whose presence was being masked from detection by Perfume and the others. These Undine Midwives were smiling fondly at the way the humans were playing together with such open and enthusiastic intensity that the world itself had dissolved in significance, their lust for one another so great that the parents were not even of a mind to pay heed to the needs of their helpless children. That was why the Undines were keeping watch for them, at the direction of their Mistress, who had also instructed that Aphrodisiacs be added to the water and incense that presently fueled this mini-orgy with the intention of-as their Captain would put it-keeping the Saotome/Tendo/Kuonji matrimonial circle too occupied to provide her with any problems.

That being said, the Undines could not help but be affected by the very amorous activity that they were supposed to be monitoring, and they idly played with one another's anatomy while being careful not to forget their duty to look after the babies. From all indications the five teenaged marital partners were going to be busy screwing each other for the next several hours, and it would hardly do for them to have to pause in this activity to feed their children or-even more inevitable-to have to change a diaper.

Fortunately these Undines well remembered what it was like to be human themselves, having at one time been mortal before dying on board the POJ, which trapped their souls in a kind of semi-limbo. Being former sex-slaves who had a knowledge of maternity, they were ideally suited to the task of caring for babies, and-let it be so noted-under Madam Lao they had received plenty of practice! Delivering and caring for the young was their sincerest pleasure (outside of screwing with each other, of course) and they had never yet allowed an infant to succumb such childhood hazards as swallowing toys or expiring from "crib death." The daughters of Shampoo and Ukyo were in very fine hands and would be tended to with loving devotion during the hours when their mothers were-effectively-too busy to pay them notice. Only after the aphrodisiacs worked their way out of their collective systems would the parents recall that they had babies that needed tending, and they would be relieved to find their children no worse for the neglect, though in the future the Undines would make it a point to instruct them to never again allow such a thing to happen.

That Ukyo was currently so busy sating her lust was understandable, given that she had just gone from a pregnant lump to her normal svelte figure (care of Madam Lao's expert touch in water manipulation). The liberation from her previous encumbrance was causing her to act as if she a born-again Virgin, albeit a Virgin very much intent on losing that "virginity" with the man and women for whom she had lusted during her three month ordeal as a "pregnant walrus." She did not even suffer the usual run of post-maternal hormonal adjustments, which meant that she could indulge in sex to her heart's content...and with so much heart to contend with she would likely be at it until she dropped away from exhaustion!

The normally dutiful Shampoo was in hardly any better state, and possessed of such a need for sex that she would not stop until she had expended every ounce of her passionate frenzy on her wives and husband, her normally uninhibited self seeming like a chaste Nun in comparison to the insatiable nymphomaniac that she had become at the moment. To be certain, even had Ranma and Nabiki not been in the mood for making love, she would have ravished them senseless without a second's hesitation, and at the moment she was drinking deep of Ukyo's loins, delighting in the taste of the chef while plotting to get at her cousin before very much longer.

Ranma was amazed at himself and the energy with which he was ramming his "male meat" into Nabiki, who took him all the way and kept right on humming. The sight of his wife tonguing his other wife was setting his balls on fire and he knew that he had to cum in both girls before too long or he really would go crazy! The way Shampoo was waving those shapely bare legs of hers in the air was just too tantalizing to resist and he knew that he had to claim the purple haired girl as his own...just as soon as he got done teaching Nabiki her proper place in this marriage circle!

Nabiki, at the center of if all, was doing no thinking whatsoever, just simply allowing herself to be pleasured while pleasuring her beloved wife and most demanding husband. It felt good being in the middle of a sandwich between the two people who meant most to her in the entire world, and her desire for them both was driving her like a raging hunger in her breast, even as Ranma was cupping her breasts and slamming his rod home into her hot little box as though attempting to implode her. She knew that she was about to cum and welcomed the clenching sensation that rocked her world a few seconds later, feeling the splash of hot jism shooting into her loins and up her spine as she ground her tongue into Shampoo and let loose a scream that vibrated her wife's hot little pussy, causing Shampoo to react and-instants later-fire off hot cum of her own into Nabiki's mouth for easy ingestion, her nectar proving to be a far more heady substance than any ambrosia.

Perfume-on the opposite end from Ranma, was delighting in the sense of Ukyo climaxing into Shampoo's own ready mouth as the Amazon transferred her orgasm down the daisy chain and into her sweet Ucchan. Plying the nerve clusters around Ukyo's breasts while mashing her own breasts up against Ukyo was driving Perfume to such frenzied heights of arousal that her hypersensitive nervous system could feel Ukyo's orgasm as if it were her own. How wonderful it was to be joined with four such passionate people, her love for them as absolute as her desire to go down on each and every one of them, including Ranma! Before too long she meant to have his man-meat in her mouth as she would suck him back to full-fledged hardness, then screw his brains out with a royal fuck-job that the boy would never forget! After that she would do the same thing with Nabiki-kun until both of her "husbands" understood the true meaning of being in an Amazon marriage. (And-naturally-Perfume also meant to give Shampoo some of her "extra-special" attention, just to be thorough about it...)

All five of them were quick to switch places after recovering from the mutual orgasm, and then they were at it again, Ranma on top of Shampoo, Nabiki on top of Ukyo with Perfume in the middle, and so it would go back and forth between them for many hours yet to cum, their group marital circle trying out each and every position that they could think of before inventing new and even more intense positions, and all the while their activities being carefully monitored and recorded by cameras mounted in hidden places at the direction of the Mistress. At Lao's command no part of their orgiastic celebration was to be lost to posterity, especially since Lao intended to study these images at greater length on some very near occasion.

At the moment, however, the Pirate Queen of Bondage and Submission was several decks above the orgy, engaged in a very different form of social activity, though Martha Kent-her present dinner "guest"-had only the vaguest idea of what sort of lair she had strayed carelessly into...a fact that Lao meant to make plain before the interview was over...

"So," Lao mused as she studied the woman sitting across from her at the table, "You are semi-retired from the superhero profession?"

"I still do a little community work on the side," Martha replied, "Hard to avoid in this business...having Superpowers tends to obligate me to use them in a crisis."

"Yes, I can see that you are very passionate about fulfilling your duties," Lao remarked as she scooped up a pickle with her chopsticks, "You are indeed a credit to your illustrious father. I have heard a great many things about him, and you do seem rather cut from the same likeness."

"You think so?" Martha replied, "I have to say that I'm surprised you know that much about me, like how you seem to think you know who I really am..."

"Oh, that wasn't hard to deduce at all," Lao said dismissively, pausing to chew her pickle and swallow it before continuing, "You don't bother to hide your face in your public identity, and it is easy for me to recognize such a prominent CEO as yourself, the head of Star Industries and acting President of Edge Communications..."

"You...think so, eh?" Martha replied uneasily.

"I know so," Lao said slyly, "Mrs. Jordan..."

"Kent," Martha hastily corrected before she could stop herself.

"Ah...Martha Kent is it?" Lao smiled, "Gone back to using your maiden name, eh?"

"Y-Yes," Martha reluctantly conceded, "My husband and I...separated...some time ago...we had...irreconcilable differences..."

"Meaning that he went back to his first wife and abandoned you and your daughter," Lao pointedly inquired.

"It...wasn't like that at all," Martha winced slightly, "His first wife came back from the dead, it's true...but...that wasn't why we separated. Hal...well...let's just stay he was having identity problems and leave it at that, all right?"

"Fine with me," Lao replied, "I am sorry if I touched upon a delicate subject..."

"No, it's...all right," Martha fought to get a hold of herself, wondering how in the hell she had lost control of this conversation. She was not here to socialize with a pirate, of all people, let alone spill her whole life's story, so she glared a bit and said, "I'd rather we stuck closer to business, is that all right with you?"

"Fine by me," Lao shrugged, "Far be it from me to argue with one of the wealthiest women on the planet, to say nothing of being one of the loneliest, if I dare make that observation."

"Lonely?" Martha blinked, "What makes you think I'm lonely?"

"I'm very good at reading people," Lao replied, "And I can tell that you are having...issues at the present. It's plain enough on your expression that you are rather unhappy about something, which I find quite frankly amazing considering the wealth at your disposal..."

"Wealth?" Martha sniffed, "I suppose I am wealthy...by your standards. But it's not really about money for me...I'm just trying to run a business while...making sense of my life..."

"No problem for me there," Lao replied, indicating the plate before Martha, "Are you certain that you're not hungry? I can imagine as a Kryptonian that you could go for days without eating..."

"It's not that," Martha hesitated, "It's just...I'm not all that hungry..."

"Suit yourself," Lao leaned back and blew on her bowl of ramen noodles, "I'd hardly try and force you to eat if you are not in the mood. After all, I am only attempting to set your mind at ease as to my good intentions. Within four hours we will reach Taipei and then I will begin setting the survivors on shore where they may be tended to by the proper authorities. You were concerned that I might be harboring less honorable intentions, weren't you?"

"You don't mince words, do you?" Martha asked.

"I am an Amazon," Lao replied, "We value blunt speaking. Not for us is the veiled deception of courtly speech, although I have been known to play the diplomat on occasion..."

"What is it you really do for a living?" Martha asked, "Don't tell me you expect me to believe that you really are a humble trader?"

"Quite right," Lao replied, "I trade on items that some might refer to as contraband, and as you have already deduced, I am not too particular about working through regular customs."

"You're a smuggler," Martha replied.

"Among other things," Lao said, "Why, is that a problem?"

"It is for me," Martha frowned, "I may not be a full time Superhero anymore, but I don't approve of illegal behavior."

"Indeed," Lao said, "Then I suppose you are here to arrest me?"

"Not unless I actually witness you doing something illegal," Martha shrugged, "We're in international waters, and I'd lack policing authority this far beyond the jurisdiction of Interpol."

"Ah," Lao noted after sucking down on a long noodle, "Then I suppose I should refrain from doing anything illegal while you are aboard my ship. Very well then, I will endeavor to be on my best behavior until further notice."

"See that you do," Martha replied, picking up a chockstick and casually breaking it between two fingers, then setting the ends together and fusing them back into one piece through simple pressure, "I'd hate to have to become a much less pleasant house guest."

"I couldn't imagine you being any less pleasant than you are now," Lao smiled, "Though it would be imprudent for me to take you for granted. I must say, I really do find it amazing to think that a pretty thing like you hasn't found another husband."

"Ah..." Martha was caught off-guard by the compliment, "Well...to tell the truth, I'm not...really in the market..."

"Are you sure about that?" Lao's smile quirked around the corners, giving her a slightly more feral expression, "Because if you are, I could find you one and get a pretty good discount. They come pre-trained and they can be amazingly attentive to your every need..."

"Eh?" Martha blinked, "What was that?"

"Just a little humor on my part," Lao assured her, "Please go on...tell me why it is that someone as vibrant and as lonely as you should have to suffer without the attentions of someone special in your life?"

"Um...well...there's really no time for that sort of thing," Martha squirmed uncomfortably in her chair, "I have a lot of obligations to fulfil just running my own company..."

"Let me guess," Lao mused, "Woman of Steel, man of Klinex, right?"

"Uh...I beg your pardon?" Martha blinked again.

"Well, it just seems to me that you are faced with a peculiar situation brought about by your unique...endowments," Lao elaborated, "To you a normal man must seem as though he were made out of straw...it must be terribly hard for you to hold yourself back when you embrace one...and as for what might become of them if you should lose control for even one second..."

Martha furiously held down an almost girlish impulse to blush and said, "It's...not that big a problem. I've learned about ways to...well...prevent it from happening..."

"Really?" Lao's interest perked up, "I would very much like to hear what those methods are that you use. It sounds quite...fascinating."

"Ah...well..." Martha wondered why she felt so unguarded under the probing eyes of this other woman, "It's not really all that big a deal...not like some people might have you believe. After all, my mother was an Earth woman..."

"Then obviously your father found a way of diminishing his own superhuman might in order to have you," Lao nodded, "Very industrious of him. So...do you use this protection whenever you are with a man, or is there some sort of training that is involved in learning to relax your muscles?"

"Well...actually...the idea I use wasn't mine," Martha shrugged, "It came from Helena..."

"Helena?" Lao quirked an eyebrow.

"My best friend," Martha replied, "She and I...well...we grew up together...our families were friends long before either of us were born, and..."

"She means something to you, does she?" Lao inclined her head, "A very special friend, and a trusted intimate. Do you see each other very often?"

"Um...not that much these days," Martha looked down, "We used to be...very close...we were even roommates in college. I..."

"Was it Law school, or business?" Lao asked.

"Uh...well...she studied Law...I majored in business," Martha answered.

"So you've drifted away from each other over the years," Lao mused, "But at one time I imagine that she must have been very special..."

"Look, what business is that of yours anyway?" Martha flared, "I don't see why I should sit here and..."

"Were you lovers?"

Martha blinked for a third time, "Excuse me?"

"From the way you say her name, and the way in which you have just now reacted," Lao pointed out, "I deduce that you shared something special with her...and that she was the one who taught you how to be with an ordinary mortal."

"How could you possible know...?"

"I'm a very good guesser," Lao smiled, "It helps in my business to know with whom I am dealing. So...you did part on more amicable terms than your separation from your husband?"

"If you mean did she turn into a power-mad megalomaniac with delusions of Godhood, obviously not," Martha fumed, scowling at the table, "She's the District Attorney in Gotham City, are you happy?"

"But would you want her to be in your life right now?" Lao asked, "Sharing her time with you and being much closer than your present distance?"

"I...don't know...what do you mean by that?" Martha looked confused.

"I think you know exactly what I mean," Lao replied, "You're thinking of her even now as we speak, wondering why you let yourselves drift apart and why you don't spent more time talking to her and seeing what she is up to..."

"I..." Martha faltered then said, "No...that would be wrong."

"Wrong?" Lao asked, "How so?"

"The whole thing...what you're suggesting," Martha frowned, "I made a mistake a long time ago...it was an experimental thing for me, and I never should have let it happen."

"Why?"

"Because it's unnatural, that's why," Martha replied, "Women aren't supposed to live their lives together, that's what we have men for. A woman needs to be with a man, who can give her children..."

"And she couldn't give you a child?" Lao asked, "Or was it just a hot, hard dick that you were after, and that was something that she lacked?"

"That's...not the way I would have put it..." Martha grimaced.

"Forgive my crude speech," Lao replied, "But as I told you, I tend to be somewhat direct in my approach. So, what you are saying is that you left the woman that you still love and found a husband who could give you a child, but that did not turn out the way you expected either?"

"Um..." Martha fidgeted, "How did we get on this subject again...?"

"I simply asked a question," Lao replied, "So...where is your child these days?"

"Joan?" Martha's nostrils flared, "I definitely don't want to talk about that!"

"You have one daughter?" Lao persisted, "Any other children?"

"No," Martha grudgingly admitted, "The one I have is more than a handful."

"Tell me what she's like then," Lao asked smoothly, "Are you proud of her? Is she turning out to be everything that you could want in a daughter?"

"Hardly," Martha growled, "Anything but. She doesn't even want to continue on to college, says she'd rather travel the world and be more like my idiot big brother, the Eco-Terrorist. I...I don't know where I went wrong with that girl..." and, saying this, Martha slumped her shoulders in token resignation.

"There now," Lao leaned forward, "It can't be all that bad. You probably just did not have enough time to spend with her during her formative years...it happens to lots of single parents..."

"But it's not supposed to happen to me!" Martha flared, "I'm the one who's supposed to be able to do it all, be it all, have it all my own way! I've got a career, several houses, a fleet of yachts, practically my own bloody air force! I've got the ear of Presidents and Congressmen, and more bloody ties to foreign capitols than the bloody CIA! You'd think I could have been a good mother to my one and only baby..."

"Easy there," Lao stood up, "No one is blaming you for anything..."

"HAH!" Martha said abruptly, "A lot you know! My Joannie blames me for everything! If there's a single problem in the world it's all my fault! If kids are starving in Africa, the blames is on me! If there's a flood in China, it's my fault for helping to contribute to Global Warming! It's all my fault if the rainforests get deforested, or some damned species that nobody has ever even heard of goes extinct! She calls me a greedy capitalist swine-ME! Her own mother, for Chrissakes! And all because I believe in a little something called the Rule of Law, unlike some politicians I could name..."

"I see," Lao said quietly, "Then you are what they call in America a...Republican?"

"If you mean am I against the Government getting its hands on my hard-won money, damned straight!" Martha growled in a challenging manner, "I'm no bloody bleeding heart Liberal ready to shed crocodile tears over every little cause imaginable! I'm not evil, I don't hate poor people, I contribute to charities and I've personally flown medicines to AIDS victims in Zimbabwe! I do more than my share of good works, and I attend Church regularly, so...why should I have to apologize for it? What more do I owe to the world? I'm for limited government and the right of ordinary people to defend themselves against criminals. I'm also pro-Choice, by the way, though I personally hate abortion..."

"Ah so..." Lao said with an inscrutable expression, "So you are what they call a Fiscal Conservative but a Social Moderate?"

"That's a better way of putting it than what Joannie likes to call me," Martha said sullenly, "She calls me a hypocrite, ME! All because she found some of my old...love letters...from college..." she swallowed.

"You wrote love letters to your sweetheart in college?" Lao arched a pale eyebrow.

"They were poems I wrote," Martha fumed softly, "Don't make too much out of it, or else."

"Well, I certainly don't want to know what 'Or Else' means with you," Lao averred, "But I find it curious that you should have such domestic problems with your daughter over a simple affair that you say was over a long time before you married her father."

"It's because she thinks that she's a Lesbian," Martha grumbled, "She had some fling with this Jungle Bunny she met on an island somewhere...ah...I didn't mean 'Jungle Bunny' as in a racial slur, by the way...I was referring to a Tarzan wannabe..."

"I think I get the point," Lao nodded, "She had a casual encounter with another girl and it caused her to think that she is a lesbian, correct?"

"Oh yeah," Martha slumped in her chair and stared at the table, "Of course she's now gotten into a...domestic partnering thing...with a girl who has magnetic powers, and they seem to think that they're happy together. She's even changed her last name just to spite me and remind me of what she found out in that old box of love notes I stupidly kept in my attic all of these years...and you know what name she's taken? Not Jordan, not Kent...but WAYNE! I mean-Joan Wayne?" she rolled her eyes towards the ceiling, "Somebody up there's got to be pulling my leg, either that or the Specter's got more of a sense of humor than even dad suspected..."

"Joan Wayne," Lao repeated slowly, "Okay...by that I take it to mean...?"

Martha's lip twitched slightly as she answered in a low growl, "She's even gone so far as to stop calling Helena her 'Aunt' and has started calling her 'Poppa.'"

"I...see..." Lao shook her head, "And I thought I had heard of everything..."

Martha looked up and growled, "You repeat one word of this and you'll wish you never were born, you got me?"

"I do," Lao replied, sitting down on the table next to Martha, having edged closer the whole time without seeming to approach her, "Small wonder you seemed so distracted when you arrived here. You do have a lot on your mind these days, and I'm sorry if I have been too intrusive..."

"No...it's funny," Martha looked up, "For some reason...I do feel a little better...getting that off my chest. I don't know why I'm telling you all of this, but...well...you've been a pretty good listener..."

"I've had practice," Lao smiled again, "But I only listen to the parts I want to hear, and what I hear in your voice is that you are lonely and wish that you could have someone else to turn to...someone who means more to you than a casual stranger. I think you really should go find your friend Helena and talk to her the way you've been talking with me..."

"How can I?" Martha asked, "I've no right to go barging back into her life. She's got her own thing going down now..."

"A husband?" Lao asked.

"Ah...no..."

"A boyfriend then?" Lao asked again.

"Not that I've heard of."

"A child of her own?"

"Um...just one she adopted...and she's graduating High School..."

"Then what's to stop you from making your move?" Lao leaned forward, "Are you telling me that you honestly don't want to get back together? After all, you have tried things the other way..."

"Um...look, can we change the subject already?" Martha pleaded, "Now...I've come all this way because my little sister had some friends who were traveling on that liner..."

"I'm sure that they are all right," Lao assured her, "But if it will reassure you, I can have my people check to find out if they are among the survivors that I carry. What were their names?"

"I...think..." Martha hesitated, then softly admitted, "You know...I forgot to ask..."

"Well, that doesn't narrow things down too much, but I'm sure we can work things out," Lao assured, "Perhaps there is someone you might be able to get in contact with who could tell you whom you are looking for?"

"I...think I'd have to use a phone for that...or talk to my little sister," Martha conceded.

"Do you have a cell phone?" Lao asked.

"No, but I have something better," Martha reached into a hidden pouch in her costume and pulled out a tiny ear-mike, which she placed in her left eardrum, then casually raised her left wrist and revealed that the band she wore there was more than a simple wrist watch. She typed in a number and then paused, waiting as if for someone else to pick up the phone on the other end...

...And seconds later the phone at Beatrice's desk started ringing, startling the friends, who had been engrossed in their continuing conversation.

"Mushi-Mushi," Beatrice replied into the speaker, "Daitokuji residence...can I help you?"

"Daitokuji?" the voice of Martha said on the other end, "Is that your family name? It sounds...somehow familiar..."

"Ah, Martha Kent-san," Beatrice smiled, "How may I help you?"

"Sis?" Alison spoke up before Martha could respond, "Where are you? Are you all right?"

"Never better, little Cherry Blossom," Martha replied, "I just called to ask for a little information."

"Where are you?" Alison asked, "Have you found Madam Lao yet?"

"As a matter of fact she's standing right next to me," Martha revealed, "She says that she's bringing the survivors back to port but that she'd like to know the names of the party that you asked me to check out. Could you tell me who I'm supposed to be looking for here?"

"She's with the Mistress?" Keiko exchanged looks with Kodachi and Akane, then glanced at an equally stunned Ryoga.

"Sis," Alison said carefully, "Are you all right?"

"Huh?" came the answer on the other end, "What do you mean all right? I'm just fine, Cherry Blossom, why do you ask?"

"Because you haven't called me Cherry Blossom in a couple of years," Alison replied, "And your voice sounds a little slurred...have you been drinking?"

"Drinking?" Martha laughed, "Sister, you know damned well that I could drink a lake of wine and never show any ill-effects. I've just been having a little talk here with Captain Lao about...some things..."

"Talking," Beatrice said, "But you've not yet encountered any of our friends to determine their status?"

"Well, it would have helped if you had told me what their names were when I left," Martha said in a slightly testy tone of voice, "After all, I don't count telepathy among my superpowers."

"Hey, don't get curt with me, Sis," Alison snapped, "You flew out of here before we had any time to give you that information...and you mean the Captain hasn't told you already?"

"Told me what already?" Martha replied.

"She knows perfectly well who our friends are," Beatrice informed her, "We talked to her just a few minutes before your arrival."

"You...what?" Martha reacted.

"Ah yes," came the faintly detected voice of Madam Lao, "I had been meaning to get around to that part..."

"Say what...?" Martha asked, "You knew I was coming?"

"Your sister informed me that you would be arriving, yes," Lao answered, "But I meant no deception in seeking a delay, or else I would never have suggested that you phone your sister in the first place. The truth is that the Saotome and Tendo clan is doing quite well, but...at the moment...they are enjoying the facilities that I have provided for them and are...how shall I put this? Otherwise engaged at the moment."

"My lady," Keiko spoke up, "What have you done with Nabiki and the others?"

"Say what?" Martha asked, "She wants to know what you've done with her friends."

"Ah," Lao smiled, "Kei-chan is still there? Then tell her that I have done nothing with them...they are simply...how can I frame this delicately? Enjoying the bliss of matrimony...and I do not wish to disturb them at this particular time. In a few hours maybe, but..."

"Wait a minute," Martha halted that line of thought, "What's this I'm hearing? That sound..."

"Sound?" Lao asked, "What sound?"

"It's...coming from over there," Martha replied, "A-chan, I'll call you back, I have to investigate this. Later."

And-ever-so-faintly over the intercom-the teenagers crowded around Beatrice's console could hear the sound of Madam Lao sighing...

"Over there," Martha said as she removed her ear-piece and deactivated her wrist communicator, "Some kind of moaning noises..."

"Are you sure it's something for you to be concerned about?" Lao asked, "This is a very old ship and it tends to creek a lot..."

"Don't hand me that line of bull!" Martha snapped, "You're hiding something and I intend to get to the bottom of it right now!"

So saying Martha levitated and shot forward on her own power, pushing past the doors and obstacles that got in her way as she followed the line of the noises that she had been hearing for the past several seconds, startling several of Lao people as she tore off down the hall, and with her rate of speed increased beyond human threshold it only took her a few instants to cross the gap to the desired chamber, only to halt in her tracks as she found something else that momentarily distracted her from her determined course of action.

"What?" she said, shocked to find a woman being whipped with a cat-o-nine tails, a naked woman suspended by her wrists above the floor, her legs held wide by a spreader bar while another woman applied the lash to her already pink-tinged backside.

"...And that is for being derelict in your duties to the Mistress," the one wielding the cat was saying just then, "And this is for not giving me head the other night when I asked you so politely..."

The woman being so flogged could say nothing on her own because a ball-gag muffled her cries and prevented her from speaking. She yelped each time that the cat struck her, though her body was stretched too taunt to do more than flinch a little in physical reaction.

"What are you doing?" Martha surged forward, taking the cat from the woman doing the flogging and hurtling her into the nearest wall with enough force to stun her, "Let this woman go! You have no right to be doing this! How dare you!"

"How dare you interfere with the operations of our ship?" one of the blue skinned women replied as she stepped out of the shadows, "This is a matter of ship discipline, and we do not welcome the criticism of outsiders."

"And I don't stand for seeing a human being whipped like a dog either!" Martha replied, and accompanied her anger with a fist aimed for the blue skinned warrior's chin, only to see that fist go right through the blue body of the other woman without creating more than a ripple in passing, causing Martha to stumble back with a surprise, "What...?"

"You would attack without knowing the nature of your adversary?" the blue skinned woman replied, "You should be the one who is taught a lesson for your ill manners...my lady? Mistress," and with that the blue skinned woman fell to one knee and bowed her head in an obedient manner.

"Eh?" Martha blinked, only to sense movement from one corner of the ceiling. She turned around in time to see water flowing through the ceiling to strike the floor...only instead of a splash the water morphed into the body of a woman, then seconds later resolved themselves into the body of Madam Lao, complete with the appropriate coloration.

"I don't really blame you for making a false assumption," Lao spoke with an odd resonance to her voice, "But you shouldn't be so quick to judge by appearances. There is more going on here than you seem to think. For example...study the cat in your hand and see for yourself."

"What?" Martha glanced at the cat and then did a double take, running her fingers through the strands to confirm what had been obvious from a closer inspection, "I-I don't believe it...these aren't leather...they're...velvet?"

"Actually they are felt strips wetted down to give them an appropriate stinging power," Lao replied, "It hurts but there is less chance of breaking the skin. I despise crude brutality...it's far more humane to use softer materials for behavioral correction."

"Behavioral corrections?" Martha repeated.

"Nadia," Lao directed her focus to the blue skinned woman, "Release Carmine from her chains...let the supposed victim speak on her own behalf."

"As you wish, my lady," the blue skinned woman straightened up, then went to the wall and hand-cranked a small winch to lower the captive woman to where her weight was fully placed on her bare feet, then the Undine went over to the captive and undid her cuffs, removing her ball gag and kneeling to undo her ankle stocks.

"No," the alleged victim spoke up, "Don't take them off just yet. Mistress...I've only been penalized for the past two minutes. I deserve an extra ten minutes at least for my failures to serve you..."

"I understand, Carmine," Lao replied, "But our guest here does not comprehend the way things are done on board this vessel. I need you to be free to speak your mind clearly...I will reward you personally with more punishment later."

"Thank you, my lady," Carmine bowed her head, then straightened up and shot a glare at Martha that was as good as a slap in the face, "WHY COULDN'T YOU MIND YOUR OWN BUSINESS? And why the hell did you hurt poor Kylene?"

To Martha's astonishment the naked girl stormed right past her and knelt down before the body of the very woman who had been flogging her a moment before to examine her bruises.

"Kylene...are you all right? Speak to me...what did she do to you?"

"I'm...all right," Kylene felt along her chin then glared at the astonished Martha, "Who the hell are you and what's the big idea of throwing me around like that? Carmine and I were just having a little fun..."

"Fun in which you can indulge within the privacy of your quarters," Lao replied, "But I do apologize for the interruption. Our guest here is...unfamiliar with our ways. Do make some allowances for her ignorance, and as a reward, you are dismissed from regular duties for the remainder of the day, make good use of the time, but I expect you both back at your posts as of O-700."

"Yes, my lady," both women bowed, then linking hands together they all but sprinted away, looking and sounding like nothing so much as giggling schoolgirls.

"My staff," Lao sighed while Martha looked on with a stunned expression, "Such youthful exuberance is encouraging in these jaded times. Ah, to be young at heart again with few responsibilities beyond my daily routine..."

"What...what just happened?" Martha asked.

"Really now," Lao leered, "You have heard of Sado-Masochism, have you not? SM games are commonplace on the POJ, and it's the means by which we insure ship discipline and punish minor transgressions."

"You punish your crew by letting them flog each other?" Martha replied.

"Among other things," Lao turned away, "Come...you wanted to see what was causing those noises that drew your attention. I might as well reveal to you the deep-dark secrets of my life that will no doubt prove a shock to your conventional mindset."

"Conventional-HEY!" Martha protested, but Lao was already turning away and heading back down the corridor, turning to the left and gesturing towards an open doorframe.

"This way," Lao noted, "And do please try not to overreact this time. I am trying to be a polite host, but I can't abide you mistreating my servants."

"Mistreating your servants?" Martha stalked up to where the captain was standing, "What the heck do you call...that...?" she gasped as she turned and looked into the next chamber.

Beyond the arched doorframe she saw a sight that caused her to all but stumble in amazement, for there in the large cargo hold were a number of naked women hanging in rope-suspense from the ceiling, dangling at all sorts of odd angles and uncomfortable positions with soft moans and groans emanating from their gagged mouths as nearly all of these women were fully alert and conscious of their positions.

"What...what's going on...?" Martha gasped, "These women..."

"They are my cargo," Lao responded.

"Cargo?" Martha blinked.

"Slaves being trained and conditioned to become courtesans for sale and resale to various clients," Lao replied, "At the present I have no more than eighteen such women undergoing the training process, far less than my normal compliment, though that is partially due to this being the off-season..."

"SLAVES?" Martha rounded on the other woman, "You make slaves of other human beings?"

"Well, generally they do make the best types," Lao replied, "Though on occasion I have been known to deal in exotics and non-humans..."

"What are you...?" Martha backed away, "Some kind of a monster?"

"No," Lao replied calmly, "But I am married to one monster...actually, two monsters if you count my loyal servant, the Kraken. But really, there is no need to be so melodramatic. I am only a businesswoman, much like yourself, fulfilling a need that satisfies my clients..."

"Why...you-!" Martha launched herself forward and threw another punch, only to gasp in amazement as her fist went right through the body of the woman before her, who rippled like a clear lake into which a stone had been tossed, only to solidify again around that fist, which was trapped in the space normally occupied by a human heart.

"I asked that you not to be so melodramatic," Lao said with very little concern expressed upon her lovely features, "Now I am going to have to insist that you be restrained before you do any more damage. Honestly I wanted to avoid having to resort to these measures, but I see that you are determined to be difficult..."

"What-what did you do?" Martha fought to free her hand from the grip of Lao's chest, but the pirate just smiled at her, then reached up to cup her own breasts and begin rubbing them against Martha's wrist.

"You are powerful and dangerous," Lao said, "So dangerous that I dare not take any chances with you...not on a ship that houses my people and my loved ones. Fight me though you will, I know that you have a weakness that I can exploit to my advantage. Breeze-chan...the box please?"

"H-Huh?" Martha stared at her own wrist, and at the now-naked breasts of the Captain, whose clothing had vanished to reveal the woman underneath, even as Lao herself was smiling in an almost friendly manner, even as Martha felt the caress of soft mounts of flesh against her skin and involuntarily reacted with a slightly pleasurable shudder.

But then she saw a young girl approaching from the sides, a girl with pale blue hair and as naked as Lao herself was at the moment. In her hands was a box that looked as though it might be used to hold jewelry, only there was an emerald dragon on its top that marked it as significant and expensive. The girl opened the box and exposed the contents that were within...and instantly Martha felt a wave of revulsion and weakness sweep over her as the saw the glowing green light that projected out in her direction.

"Kryptonite," Lao remarked, "I believe it is your primary weakness, the bane of your people and a rare element worth a considerable fortune. My predecessor carried this fragment in a box by his mantle for what I assumed would be...special circumstances. I never thought that I might have need for it myself until you dropped in to investigate me...but now I see that it was wise to have my son standing by with the box just in case you became...difficult."

"Y-Your...son?" Martha gasped, fighting to free her hand as weakness overcame her body.

"Don't ever let appearances fool you around here," Lao replied, "Things are never as simple as they might appear. Indeed, I don't intend to hurt you if it can be avoided, but I needed to weaken you to a sufficient level that you might be easy prey for the Kraken."

"The...what...?" Martha stumbled and the strength left her legs and she began to sag to her knees, only to find her hand had been finally released by Madam Lao, who knelt down to gather her up into her arms while Breeze stood by and held the box ready.

"Shhh..." Lao said in soothing tones, lifting Martha in her arms as though the other woman had become as light as a baby, "Don't worry about it...I will take care of everything. This way, please...I will show you exactly how I make a guest at home who might otherwise cause me a problem. Breeze darling, stand by and keep the box ready."

"Yes mother," the young girl replied.

Martha wondered what was going to happen to her, silently cursing herself for being so careless as to lower her guard around the lady pirate. She lacked the strength to do more than hang limply in the other woman's arms as she was borne down the corridor and into another chamber...one that consisted of a ramp that bridged a space that was filled by a series of empty hanging cages on either side. Below the ramp hung a dark mass that appeared to be a liquid of some sort, but as Martha turned an eyed towards this darkness she saw it rising up to form a gelatinous shape that rose up to greet her.

"Breeze-chan," Lao said, "Seal the box...it won't be needed from this point on," and with that the lady pirate released Martha and dropped her into the darkness, causing her to fall several feet as Martha reached in vain to seek a hold on the pirate, only to find herself falling into the gelatinous mass, which swarmed around and absorbed her into its being.

"Now then..." Lao said, only to have her body ripple and distort as she became one of the blue women, who then turned to see the real Madam Lao, who only then came striding up the ramp with a leisurely saunter.

"Well done, my servant...you made an excellent medium," the real Lao complimented her Undine servant.

"I thank you, my lady," the Undine bowed down on one knee, "It was a great honor to be graced with your essence as I performed your will. I am pleased that the results are satisfactory by your measure..."

"As am I," Lao stretched out a hand and affectionately ran her fingers through the blue locks of her smiling child, "And you, my darling, you did quite well. I am proud of your performance as well...because of you we have avoided a situation that was certain to be most unpleasant."

"I'm glad I could help, Mom," Breeze replied, holding up the box, "You want I should keep this around...just in case?"

"No," Lao replied, "That won't be necessary. Return it to the shelf where you obtained it, I think we will be able to handle this particular guest from now on using more...conventional methods."

Breeze and the Undine turned to watch as Martha flailed helplessly about in the middle of the gelatinous mass, struggling against invisible arms that worked their way all around her body. A moment later one arm detached itself from the mass and stretched itself out over Madam Lao and lowered an object into her hand, which Lao accepted with a smile...the clothing, watch and sandals formerly worn by the struggling Martha.

"There now," Lao mused as she studied the costume as though to measure it by fashion sense, "We won't be needing this for a while. Have it stored away with the rest of her personal effects. Now at last she is fashionably attired as a proper guest aboard my vessel."

"Very good, Mistress," the Undine replied as she accepted the clothing, watch and sandals, then dissolved her body and flowed across the ramp, moving much swifter than anything human might have managed.

Lao folded her arms and watched as Martha continued to struggle within the mass that was a mere portion of the Kraken's body, her efforts slowing as invisible arms slid around her limbs to immobilize them, then other appendages appeared and began to stroke and rove over the surface of her body. Martha's lips parted sharply as a few bubbled of air escaped from her lips, but then she arched her back and parted her legs as though something were stroking her down below, and moments later the lips of her brown-covered loins started to part and expose pink flesh, which shortly thereafter became violated.

"The Kraken looks happy, Mom," Breeze commented, "I think it likes her."

"Ah yes," Lao smiled, "This guest will indeed need special handling, but I think that I can handle it. A pity that I'll have to call Kei-chan back and offer an apology to this one's sister. Of necessity I am going to have to retain her services for at least a week until we can work out something...negotiable between us. To do otherwise is likely to risk the folly of having a perturbed Kryptonian loose on my ship.

"What will become of her if she doesn't agree to cooperate, Mom?" her sex-  
changed son asked.

"I think we should cross that bridge when it becomes necessary, my darling," Lao replied, "But I suspect that our dear Ms. Kent may prove to be a surprising addition to our expanding guest list. I will ask her once we have concluded our business in Taipei...but I think I already know how she will respond to further treatment. I sense such...potential within this one...and I truly am looking forward to getting to know her better."

"I guess," Breeze replied, "But she'd better not try to hurt you. I hate it when people try and threaten you, Mother..."

"I know you do, my child," Lao ran her hand through the hair of her daughter once again, "You make your mother proud. Now...do as I ask then join me for dinner. We'll be dining down in the Harem with the rest of the girls and the children. I'll have a few announcements to make, and I want you all to be ready."

"Okay," Breeze smiled, and all but skipped her way out of the room, obviously in a good mood, which was a reflection of Lao's own mindset.

"Ah yes," she smiled as she studied the now-nude Martha, who was being thoroughly molested by a hundred tiny tentacle-like fingers that played with sensitive nerve endings, to which even a Kryptonian could have no real defenses...especially those that stroked and fondled nerves normally inaccessible in a human body, "So much potential...you are indeed a powerful woman, my friend, but before too long you will come to know me as...your Mistress."

And with that Lao gave in to the impulse to revert to type with a laugh that was suitable to a major Villainess who had just captured the hero for her nefarious...devices, a laugh that was far too light hearted and marry to be truly ominous, though Martha-from what she could hear of it from within the body of the Kraken-appropriately shuddered...

Continued.

Comments/Criticisms/Tentacle Massages: shadowmane

The lid comes off of Pandora's Box as Lao reveals the truth depths of her sinister intentions, while Nabiki and company make a slow recovery from their inter-family orgy to discover that they've missed the boat in an almost literal sense. Be here for the next perverted installment: "Hentai Hotel," or "You can do anything, but lay off of my Blue Jack Boots!" Be there!

X

If you wish to check out my other works, Please check out my Fanfiction webpage at: . All related chapters of this series can be found there along with my other works.  
/pre 


	7. Chapter 7

preDNabikiTHC7

Nabiki 1/2

"A Very Scary Thought!"

THE HENTAI CHAPTERS!

By Jim Robert Bader

(Inspired by the works of Rumiko Takahashi Others,  
with special thanks to Seigal, Shuster, Gardner Fox and Larry Niven)

Part Seven.

HENTAI ALERT! YOU ARE ENTERING THE LEMON-LIME ZONE!  
NORMAL RULES OF FANFICTION AND TASTE DO NOT APPLY!  
THIS ISN'T JUST SOME SOFT ROMANCE WITH A DASH OF BONDAGE PEOPLE...THERE IS SOME HARDCORE HENTAI STUFF AHEAD, SO BACK OFF IF YOU ARE SQUEEMISH ABOUT SUCH STUFF!  
YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED!

One thing about waking up in the morning after having some of the best sex in your life is that you tend to have this **peculiar** taste in your mouth and no clear idea how it got that way, or so Nabiki realized as consciousness slowly returned to her, along with a budding sense that she seriously needed to relieve her overly swollen bladder.

The second thing that occurred to her was that she was laying atop a silk-spread dog-pile with her loved ones scattered all about and Ranma snoring like the dead would get no rest this morning. On the whole he looked **very** satisfied, and maybe a bit too smug about himself for some peculiar reason. Nabiki had a halfway wicked impulse to smack him on his exposed fanny, just as a token payback for the way he had ridden her ass-not once but TWICE in the same furious evening!

(What is it with him and my ass?) she idly wondered, (Do I have a bullseye painted down there or something?)

Even so she was in a good enough mood that she only faintly minded that there was some kind of a **hangover** effect that made moving seem like a really poor option. She groaned faintly at the sense of having drunk a little too much of something **wicked,** though she could not for the life of her remember anything alcoholic being consumed the previous evening.

Hey, now that she thought about it, what had she been eating and drinking to sustain herself since yesterday morning? From the time when Ranma had taken her to bed the previous morning to the present, the only thing she could recall passing through her lips was...

Oh yeah...well, at least that did have some protean in it, right? Not to mention a lot of vitamins and minerals that could sustain a body in the short run...

"Good morning," a pleasantly vibrant voice asked, "Can I service you? You look like you're in need of being serviced."

"Hah?" Nabiki half-opened one eyelid, then opened the other eye all the way as she gazed up at the face of one of the blue-skinned Undine, who was kneeling over her with her translucent body shimmering slightly from the oddly faint luminescent lighting that seemed to suffuse each room of the POJ either morning or evening.

"I am an attendant assigned by her ladyship to see to your every need," the Undine spoke, her voice a curious quavering sound that suggested the liquid medium that was her body, "I asked because you appear to be in need of some relieving."

"Relieving?" Nabiki blinked, "Um...my wife...wives are right here...and my husband..."

"Oh, not that kind of relief," the Undine reassured her, "Your bladder...I can sense that it is full of impurities, and we in the Harem must attend to such things by the command of the Mistress."

"Oh," Nabiki said mildly, half pushing herself off of the pile of pillows upon which she had been resting, "Um...well...if you'll show me the way to the privy..."

"Oh, there is no need for you to get up," the Undine assured her, "This isn't the first time that I've relieved your bladder during the night, but the other times you were unconscious. I am asking permission because I wish to be polite..."

"Hah?" Nabiki said more alertly, "You what?"

"My sisters and I have been assuring that you and your loved ones slept well after the amount of energy that you were expending with one another," the Undine explained, "It's quite a simple process, and it won't bother you for more than a few minutes. I'm very good at this sort of thing, and you won't have any complaints, I assure you."

"Huh?" Nabiki said, "Now wait a minute-!"

"Here, allow me to demonstrate," the Undine replied, and then her body flowed onto Nabiki, briefly overwhelming her and surrounding her body completely in the liquid medium of the Undine's body. For a moment Nabiki kicked and flailed reflexively, but there was nothing against which to offer resistance, and a few moments later she found her body relaxing all over...and-indeed-the water felt warm and entirely...**pleasant**...

And then a curious thing happened...she felt her hips relax and her internal muscles gave way to a soft penetration that entered her rectum, even as she felt her **other** muscles relax in the fore as the elemental did its business. Nabiki opened her mouth as if to offer a protest but found something else flushed its way down her throat and briefly held her immobile all over...and then it felt as though her body was...**purged** as if impurities were being flushed out of her system...and moments later the elemental withdrew from her altogether.

"There now," it said as the feminine shape restored itself to normal (albeit now her coloration was somewhat more...opaque), "That wasn't so bad, was it? I'm sorry if I gave you a moment of panic there...now, excuses me while I dispose of this waste matter. We use the raw elements to fertilize the plant life in the hydroponics garden."

With that the elemental flowed through the cracks in the floor, leaving not even a trace of foul smell in her passage.

"Weird, huh?" Nabiki heard Ukyo say from the other end of the dogpile, "Freaks me out a bit whenever they do that...glad to see you're with us again, Nabchan. This place just isn't the same without you."

"How long have you been awake?" Nabiki asked as she checked herself over, just to insure that she was indeed still female.

"Not too long," Perfume said in a fuzzy voice, pushing herself up off of a still sleeping Shampoo, whose tummy had been serving as her pillow, "Just long enough to get that tinny flavor out of my mouth. What happened to us, by the way...it felt like we spent the whole day screwing..."

"We did," Ukyo said, pushing hair out of her face as she groaned, "Man, I haven't felt so wasted since that time I drank my Aunt Yuki's home-brewed Saki...and that taste in my mouth..."

"It should fade in another minute," Nabiki said, glancing around, "Anyone know what time it is?"

"Sure," Perfume replied, "It's seven-thirty-two, why do you ask?"

Nabiki blinked, "How do you know that?"

"Internal Cicada," Perfume shrugged, "I always know what time it is. It's you outlanders who need time pieces to tell what hour it is. Great-grandmother always said that watches were a confidence trick invented by the Swiss..."

"Forget I asked-SAY WHAT?" Nabiki blurted out.

"No so loud, Airen," Shampoo groaned sleepily, feeling her head as though it were balloon sized, "What you shouting about? Shampoo just want sleep in a little longer..."

"Sorry Honey," Nabiki apologized, "You mean we were in here a whole DAY? But...I thought we were a few hours from reaching port..."

"That's what I thought too..." Ukyo paused as her attention drifted off to the side, and then she sprang to her feet with an astonished cry of , "MY BABY!"

"Aiyaa!" Shampoo came to full alertness with a speed that was astounding, and like Ukyo went to check the crib in which both of their daughters had been resting the night before, only to sigh with relief when they found their children cooing and burbling softly, as though they had not even been aware that their mothers were missing.

"Oh...my little girl," Ukyo declared as she held up the tiny newborn to her breast, and within moments said child was fastened securely to one of her already-swelling breasts, which had grown considerably heavier with the advancing of her former pregnant state.

"Little Lylac miss you mommy?" Shampoo cooed as she cradled her own suckling daughter, "What Shampoo drinking she forget all about you? Is no time for Amazon to get distracted when she have such big responsibility giving milk to Airen baby..."

"What happened to us last night?" Perfume asked as she joined Ukyo's side in admiring their baby, "It's like we just went mad with sex and forgot about everything..."

"I know what happened," Nabiki growled, "Lao happened! She did something to the air to make us act like sex-crazy nymphos! I'll bet she did it to get us out of the way while she was up to who knows what kind of mischief..."

"That does sound in character," Ukyo mused as she rocked from side to side with her arms cradling her hungry baby, "She has a way of playing these kinds of games...but it doesn't seem to have caused us any trouble. Look here...little Fragrance is as healthy as a horse, and pretty strong too..."

"What did you just call her?" Nabiki asked.

"Fra-Granz," Perfume replied, "I named her for a warrior ancestor of mine...but Ucchan seems to think it was because she smells as clean as a new flower..."

"Well, she does smell clean," Ukyo frowned, "Weird...she's not even wearing a diaper..."

"Those elementals no doubt," Perfume remarked, "Just as they cleaned us out, they must have been looking after our babies..."

"That's very civilized of them," Nabiki sniffed, "But it doesn't excuse the fact that we were drugged into having an orgy while...what's that?"

"Aiyaa," Shampoo averred, "It sound like...singing?"

"I guess you could call it that," Ukyo replied as Nabiki went to the curtained doorway and peered out into...the Harem...

"...We are a jolly, merry lot who ply the seven seas,  
And when we get to port we like to break monotony,  
By orgying and wenching hard and outright gluttony,  
'Cause when we get hungover, that's when we will ship to sea...

"And we're-Banned from Argo, everyone!  
Banned from Argo, just for having a little fun!  
We spent a jolly fortnight there for just three days, or four,  
But Argo doesn't want us anymore...!"

"Say what?" Nabiki blurted out, seeing the Concubines busy about the seraglio while joining in with communal singing, the naked women busy hanging or taking down the silken curtains that partitioned the room in different places, and generally appeared to be freshening up the place as though performing a group wash day with the precision of a military unit.

"Our Captain is a feisty lass, she whores the Seven Seas,  
And never ever get her mad, or even downright peeved,  
'Cause we like her happy, randy and anything but mean,  
'Cause then she is a Tiger of the Seas!

"And we're-BANNED from Argo, everyone!  
Banned from Argo, just for having a little fun!  
We spent a jolly fortnight there for just three days, or four,  
But Argo doesn't want us anymore..!"

"Man, that Lao is sure something," Ukyo commented, "Not only does she torture and enslave these girls, but now she's got them Filk singing."

"Filk singing?" Nabiki asked.

"It's like Folk singing, only you don't have to as coherent," Ukyo explained, "If you ever attend a science fiction convention, you'll know what I'm about."

"Aiyaa," Shampoo murmured softly, "They is surely happy about something."

"Yeah," Nabiki frowned, "But what I wonder what that could be?"

"The Shanghai Pirates thought that they were as tough as they were gay,  
And they'd gladly shoot you in the head if got into their way,  
They'd laugh at pain and sneer at death and scoff at come what may,  
But when they saw us coming they all turned and ran away...

"'Cause we're-BANNED from Argo everyone!  
Banned from Argo, just for having a little fun!  
We spent a jolly fortnight there for just three days, or four,  
But Argo doesn't want us anymore..."

"Excuse me!" Nabiki called out, snagging the nearest of the concubines who happed to be within arms reach.

"Yes?" the dark haired beauty purred as she sized Nabiki up with undisguised lust in her expression.

"Er...you could tell us why everyone seems so happy all of a sudden?" Nabiki asked, then hastily amended, "I mean...more than usual that is?"

"Oh yes," the concubine cooed, "You're the new girls...the Mistress left us explicit instructions that you were not to be disturbed while you were consummating your marriage."

"I'll bet," Nabiki winced, uncomfortable about the way that this girl was sizing her up as though she were on the dinner menu, "Just answer the question, all right?"

"Well, if you must know, we've just got back from enjoying a little shore leave," the concubine responded.

"Shore leave?" Ukyo responded in place of Nabiki.

"Yes," the concubine replied, "The Mistress, in her infinite generosity, allowed us to have two hours of free time on shore in groups of six. That was just enough time to visit some of the stores along the dockside..."

"Stores?" Nabiki said, "You mean you went SHOPPING?"

"Oh yes," the concubine smiled, "Taipei has some excellent shopping marts. I was able to find some nice CDs for my collection, and there was the cutest little doll that I bought for my daughter, along with a coloring book and..."

"You have money?" Ukyo asked.

"Well, of course," the concubine replied, "The Mistress loans us money and allows us to buy anything that we want, just as long as it's in the budget. By the way, my name is Suite Ann Lo, just in case it's important..."

"Sweet and Low?" Nabiki wondered if she had heard that right.

"I don't blame you for looking at me like that," the lovely concubine replied, "My cousin, Hung Lo, has the same exact problem..."

"Excuse me, but," Perfume spoke up, "Your Mistress...our cousin, let you girls go on shore and shop in the local stores around Taipei?"

"Taipei?" Nabiki blanched.

"You had guards watching you all the time, right?" Ukyo interjected."

"Well, yes," the concubine named Suite Ann Lo replied, "But they're mostly there for our protection, to see that no one tries anything with us. After all, we're property rightfully owned by the Mistress..."

The girl sounded actually quite proud of that fact, prompting Nabiki to ask, "You went ashore to buy stuff...provisions and the like? What about clothing?"

Suite Ann Lo gave her a blank look, "Clothing? What would I want to waste money on that for? I'd only need to wear something whenever I go to shore...might as well buy a bathing suite while you're at it..."

"But what about escape?" Perfume asked.

"Huh?" the girl seemed genuinely puzzled by the question, "Escape? From what?"

"From Lao of course," Ukyo replied, "You mean you never even thought about using the opportunity to get away from her?"

"The very idea!" the girl sounded shocked by the suggestion, "Where would I go, what would I do if I left the employ of the Mistress? I'm her property...I don't have anywhere else that I would rather be than right here on this ship. It's my home, after all, and I'd hardly leave my daughter behind..."

"But what about the other girls?" Nabiki asked, "Are you saying that no one has ever even tried to escape until now?"

"Well...it doesn't happen very often...once in a blue moon, but those girls were never really the types who fit in here very well," the concubine replied, "I feel sorry for them, really...adrift in a strange place without anyone around to help them...no family, friends, not even an owner..."

"Sounds like somebody here is still operating under a false assumption," one of the other concubines turned and smiled in their direction, "You think we stay here because we have no choice, that we were forced into it and are brainwashed so we don't even know that we have that option. Let me assure you that we're all here because we want to be a part of Mistress Lao's harem...we're family here, a tribe, as close as any blood sisters."

"But don't you ever miss the lives you led before you came to live in this ship of enslavement?" Perfume asked, "Don't you have families that worry about you...?"

"Families?" the concubine approaching them sniffed, "Sure, many of us have families, and we talk with them all the time and write to them often. You can have mine, though...my parents sold me into prostitution to work off the debt a local warlord laid on their farm. I used to slave in a mining camp where I was little more than common dirt, and all because my parents valued me less than my brother. I'm surprised they didn't drown me at birth...and thanks the Gods they were too poor to have me aborted, all because of that one-child policy on the mainland. Fathers want sons to pray for them when they get into heaven...well, I pray in thanks every day that the Mistress discovered me and rescued me from that awful hell pit. Serving her is much more fulfilling than any traditional marriage that my folks might have arranged if they had kept me..."

"Ignore Wa-Ten over there," Suite Anne Lo shrugged, "She's got a bit of chip on her shoulder about men. Of course we all love her for herself and think she's worth more than all the rice in China..."

"Flatterer," Wa-Ten replied, "Remind me to spank you for that later."

"Well, what's stopping you right now?" the other concubine challenged.

"Good point," Wa-Ten walked up and casually grabbed a hank full of the other girl's hair in one hand, "Come over here and take it like the little rabbit that you are, Bitch..."

To the surprise of Nabiki and the others, Suite Ann Lo went along meekly as she was guided over towards a padded bench that looked partially as though it had been made from a saw horse.

"Uh-excuse me!" Nabiki belatedly spoke up, bringing a halt to the ensuing "punishment" session, "We need to go ashore ourselves. It's been...interesting spending time with you, but..."

"Oh, didn't you know?" Wa-Ten asked, "We left port over an hour ago. You must have been asleep when they made the announcement."

"Say-WHAT?" Nabiki reacted, then grit her teeth and shouted, LAO!"

"If you wish to speak with the Mistress, ask one of the guards," Wa-Ten, pulling Suite Ann Lo closer to her face with a slight gasp from the other concubine, "You didn't tell them that, did you? Shame on you...you must be punished."

"Yes...punish me," Suite Ann Lo replied, "I've been bad, I deserve it..."

"You have indeed," Wa-Ten smiled and half-dragged the unresisting girl to her impending "punishment."

"We left the shore?" Ukyo said in a hollow tone of voice, "You mean...we're stuck here...AGAIN?"

"Aiyaa," Shampoo averred softly, "What we do, Airen?"

"YOU don't do anything," Nabiki shot back, "Stay here and look after your babies, and Perfume?"

"Yes?" the brown haired Amazon replied.

Nabiki turned to glance back at the snoring Ranma, "Wake him up, would you? I want Ranma alert and ready."

"Wake him up?" Perfume asked, "How?"

"I don't know...use your imagination!" Nabiki snapped, and promptly stormed out into the midst of the harem.

"Use my imagination?" Perfume glanced back at Ranma, who seemed no more awake than he had in the beginning.

"Guess you'll have to come up with something that can wake that lug from his nap," Ukyo mused, "We did kind of work him pretty hard last night..."

"Aiyaa," Shampoo agreed, "Much, much stamina in husband to Airen...him more than need rest after making us all happy."

"All of us?" Perfume slowly smiled, taking on a predatory, kittenish expression, "Well...not quite...and I know how I can get a rise out of Saotome..."

"If you're looking for permission," Ukyo grinned, "I say go for it...just as long as Shampoo and I get to watch, Sugar."

"Well, Nabiki is the senior Airen," Perfume grinned as she bent down and uncovered Ranma's groin area, "And...to tell the truth...I have been wanting to try this after watching the rest of you in action..."

Shampoo and Ukyo smiled and re-entered the chamber as they watched the brown haired Enforcer begin to play with the limp manhood of their mutual husband. Within a minute she had restored life to his male member, and then she brought her mouth into play and began to lick it like a Popsicle, causing Ranma to stir slightly and groan softly in his sleep...

Martha's mind was awash with sensations and images as it seemed as if every square centimeter of her skin was being caressed and massaged both inside and out. Her highly attuned nervous system was enflamed with stimulation that reached into her loins and all the way down her throat into her belly, probing her rectum and affecting her entire body as every fiber, bone and sinew vibrated to the pulsing rhythm of those strokes. Her consciousness reeled from the overwhelming bombardment of tactile information coming at her from all directions, and in that sea of swarming physical contact she could find no escape, no release, nothing to grip hold of to give her leverage with which to regain her bearings.

For a Kryptonian-even one born of terrestrial blood-there could be no greater form of torture, having her freedom stripped away while overmastering her mind and body awareness in a sea of altogether pleasurable sensory data. From the day of her birth Martha had always been aware of things that were beyond the capacity of a normal human being...of sounds that ranged to the ultrasonic, of sights that her eyes could perceive to which normal human eyes were blinded. Even as an infant she had been aware that the world was one vast plaything for the boundless reaches of her imagination, and growing up had been an experience of ever-improving control of her expanded awareness. Growing up it had seemed as though the world had no walls, as if barriers did not exist, as if the flimsy partitions that separated one room from another were as translucent as glass and as permeable as a silk screen. It had taken years to learn how to adjust her eyes so that she did not see right through people and could actually make out surface textures and shading. For her it was natural to see into non-visible wavelengths of the electromagnetic spectrum, and yet the real talent proved to be her ability to focus her awareness on a place that was very distant, to see things in a line-of-sight way that went beyond barricades and petty obstructions, and to hear people talking from miles away with as much clarity as if they were in the next room. For her it had been a surprise to learn that people even wore clothing since to her it had appeared as if everyone around her was walking about naked.

Learning to control and focus her awareness to the here-and-now had been a struggle for her, whereas for most people with whom she came in contact it was entirely second nature. By learning to follow their example she had mastered the fine art of "toning down" her super-senses, and by gradual steps practice with the goal of being able to "fit in" with "normal" society, to walk among mere mortals as though she were not extraordinarily gifted. Hiding her powers from her normal schoolmates had been a trick that she turned into a game, yet every-so-often she would let slip that control and expose her real nature. Fear and prejudice often followed such a revelation until such time as Martha could manage to convince them that she was not a freak nor a mutant...and learning to hypnotize her friends in order to make them forget had been a large step to overcoming this prejudgment. Over time she got so good at "fitting in" that she could even convince herself that Martha Kent was a perfectly ordinary human woman, while Power Girl (and later Woman) was the one who was exceptional, the one whom people could look up to or fear, the one who stood out and was treated differently by others.

It might seem that such a dual identity could lead to a mental schism, and in time that actually proved to be the case, until the help of friends convinced Martha that she did not have to live a double life of constant denial and avoidance, that in effect she was the same person in both forms, and simply disguising her identity through the use of a blonde wig could not fool the person deep down who meant the most in her life...her own self-image. That was when she had resolved to withdraw from the superhero game and to reconcile the two halves of her identity by living her life as Martha Kent, a Power Woman and executive who-for all her superior abilities-fundamentally was still quite human.

Yet a lifetime of ratcheting down her ultimate powers of perception did not deny the fact that she had these heightened perceptions and could feel the Universe around her in ways that no "mere" human being could possibly comprehend. Even Helena had no idea how sensitive Martha was to the lightest caress of a hand, the blush of a cheek, the subtle play of highlights and colors when reflected off an unguarded profile. It overwhelmed Martha sometimes to realize how much more of the world that she could comprehend than others knew, excluding only her father, who had gone through the same experience during his own childhood. By learning to ignore this bombardment of feeling, Martha had insured that she could function in a society that was rich with background noises...noises and smells, sights so bedazzling, tastes so refined that she could identify individual chemicals by their flavors alone, even those that where thought to lack any flavor. If people only knew how overpowering it was to smell cologne from across a crowded room and be able to pick out the offending player, and yet she had learned to control her impulses, and to such a degree that she could discern one individual scent from the scent of another person...would they still dab themselves in flavored musk and think nothing of it even as it spoiled the natural wonder of their own perspiring bodies?

Thinking back to it now, Martha remembered when she first became aware that there was a difference between men and women. Puberty was the worst of it, the time when she had experienced a rush of raging hormones that had made her lust after boys with the ardor of a lost puppy, making her seem weak and pathetic in her own eyes because of a terminal case of shyness that had plagued her "Martha" identity, even as she had to fight to control her lust during those monthly periods when her loins were aching for some good-old-fashioned **attention.** The fact that she knew full well how much she could hurt a boy if she lost control that way at a critical moment kept her in line far more severely than any parental sternness from either her mother or her father...and yet on days when she developed these **cramps** she could do nothing but seek the relief of a "Mega-Industrial Strength" vibrator, let alone vent her wild developments on something unlikely to retaliate or sue her...

Martha wondered if she were having some manner of a crisis, or a missing those" good" old days when it was easy for her to tell the heroes from the bad guys. She had quite forgotten the actual nature of her plight, that she was floating inside the belly of a colossal beast whose nature was unfathomable, almost purely elemental, like one of the Angels from an Evangelion movie. She was swimming in a sea of tentacles that were writhing and fondling her naked body while a shaft inserted down her throat was feeding her enough oxygen to sustain her vital functions, the other shafts removing excess body fluids and waste matter in order to maintain a healthy balance. Those squirming, squishy tendrils that played over her skin were making contact with surface areas normally inaccessible even to ordinary water, and as such there was no part of her body that was immune to the creature's undulating mass. Try as she might she could not resist the bombardment of so much stimulation, all of it pleasurable and giving her a strangely embryonic feeling, like the ultimate "return to the womb" complex, even while relentlessly probing her insides with her consciousness expanded to well beyond even her supernormal levels.

As such she experienced the past and the present with equal clarity as though that portion of her mind dealing with memory were itself being hyper-stimulated. She recalled incidents and events of her life that had been long buried in her subconscious, thoughts she had not even wanted to relive came back to her with as much vividness as her most fond experiences and joys long cherished. How easy it was to drift from one experience of her life to another, finding new discoveries in tiny things that she had overlooked the first time, and form a sharper understanding of events that she had unfortunately misconstrued as the picture became clearer and her comprehension grew in focus.

As such she could remember the difficulties of growing up feeling abandoned when her mother had died unexpectedly when Martha had just turned sixteen, a time that should have been one of joy and gladness for her but instead proved to be the saddest day of her existence. It effectively meant the end of her childhood, the day when she truly became aware of just how precious life was, and how short it could be for ordinary mortals. She also remembered the rage that had filled her being when her father had chosen to remarry...and to marry a woman much, much older than himself, a PAGAN no less, the daughter of Greek Gods better relegated to ancient mythology. She had felt such disdain towards Diana for daring to presume to take her mother's place, all because she had known her father for over forty years and had come to love him in secret, a betrayal that Martha still bitterly resented.

Odd then that she felt so close to the daughter of her father's second wife, but then again, little "Ally-chan" did remind Martha a lot of herself when she was that age, so full of energy and yet naïve in ways that were quite appalling...

And now Alison was all grown up and having a baby...and when had such a thing happened? Martha could still remember giving her little sister piggy-back rides while flying, of having Alison spending time with her Joannie, who was only a couple of years older, if that, a good playmate for her only daughter, and wasn't it too bad that the family was separated because Dad preferred to raise his new family in a foreign country?

Well...all right, so maybe the whole world was **technically** a foreign country to their father, so maybe one country was just the same as another to her father, but she still could not help but feel that he was being disloyal to the nation that had helped to raise him, something else for which she blamed THAT WOMAN to whom he was currently married...

And then Martha's mind flashed back once again to happier times when she and her family were a unit, when both of her older brothers were her two closest friends and nothing seemed impossible, no bridge too far beyond their horizon, when she was happy and care free and had not a shadow in her world...

Mistress?

Eh? What was that...?

"Mistress," the voice spoke again, "Saotome Nabiki is here to speak with you once again, as per your instructions."

"Eh?" Lao replied, drawing her attention back from her link to the Kraken, turning about in time to see a naked Nabiki storming up to her with blood in her eyes and a remarkable shortage of patience, "Oh, I see..."

"LAO!" Nabiki all but snarled her name, "You tricked us! You were supposed to put us to shore with the others and instead you've pulled out to sea and left us stranded!"

"Why, whatever do you mean, Nabiki-san?" Lao asked innocently, "I don't recall saying anything about letting you have shore leave like the others..."

"Not shore-leave, damn you!" Nabiki snapped in her face, waving her fist for emphasis, "You were supposed to let us go! Don't tell me you broke your word again and..."

"I've never broken my word to you," Lao replied, "I never gave you my word that I would set you ashore once we arrived. I did say that you would be free to go, but since you seemed otherwise occupied..."

"Because you TRICKED US!" Nabiki roared, "I'll bet you never had any intention of letting any of us go in the first place!"

"Not so," Lao said calmly, "I kept my word about the passengers of the liner...they are all on shore now, every one of them, including the ones whom I was considering keeping for myself. You can check for yourself to see, you won't find a single one of them on board this vessel."

"W-What?" that halted Nabiki in mid-tirade, "You...let them go?"

"I thought that would please you," Lao replied, "I could have made a tidy profit had I chosen to keep those fifty-three other girls, but instead I opted to let you and your family remain behind in their place."

"You WHAT?" Nabiki snapped.

"After all," Lao continued, "I value your companionship a lot more than I would fifty-three total strangers, who no doubt are already on their way back to Japan via the Taiwanese airport courtesy of the Ocean Liner service."

"That's...why?" Nabiki asked.

"Why didn't I disturb you so that you and your family could join the others in leaving?" Lao asked, pretending not to understand the question, "Simply put, you were having a good time, so I had my people place a 'Do Not Disturb Under Severe Penalty' sign over your door so that you could finish your business and sleep it off in private. Only my Undine servants were allowed to look in on you and see to your every need, also to insure that your husband did not accidentally set fire to my ship in his sleep..."

"Ranma wouldn't do..."

"He may not," Lao replied, "But the Fire Elemental with whom he is allied might have other ideas while he is unconscious. My people were prepared to act if there was need, but otherwise..."

"YOU SET US UP!" Nabiki flared back up again, "You knew that aphrodisiac perfume, or whatever it was, would make us so horny that we'd be totally mindless and screwing each other until long after sunset, then be too exhausted to do anything until morning...!"

"Is that the effect it had upon you?" Lao feigned surprise, "I guess you're not as used to it as the rest of my people. Next time I'll have them ratchet back a bit on the dosage..."

"YOU SON OF A BITCH!" Nabiki reacted before her mind had time to think and her fist went flying at Lao's chin before she could even think to stop it.

Much to her surprise, Lao did not avoid the punch, nor did she block it, and her hand connected dead on target with such force that the self-styled Pirate Queen was driven backwards by the force, skidding across the smooth planking of the deck for a good four meters before managing to halt her momentum.

Lao paused, felt along her chin and found a slight trickle of blood from a cut lip, then smiled wolfishly and said, "Good one, Nabiki-san. That free shot I owed you."

"EAT THIS!" Nabiki's other hand shot forward as she sent a chi-bolt hurtling in Lao's direction.

Much to her amazement, Lao simply stretched out a hand and caught the bolt against her palm, scattering it harmlessly in all directions.

"I told you I had more experience at this sort of thing," Lao straightened up, "And surely you didn't expect a little Chi attack like that to phase me. I've been deflecting far worse since I was only a little older than yourself, but I do thank you for giving me the pretext to do...this!"

With that Lao brought her hands together before her body and cupped them as if to grip an invisible object. At the same time this happened, two Undine spirits-bodies as warm as a good bath-appeared to flank Nabiki on both sides and grip her arms in their watery embrace, partially solidifying around her arms in order to hold her immobile.

"Hey-what?" Nabiki struggled to no good effect.

"Don't bother fighting them," Lao replied, "I've specially trained these two in order to handle you directly. I knew that-sooner or later-you were going to lose your temper and do something foolish that would force me to restrain you."

"Because you goaded me into it!" Nabiki tried kicking against the deck but found that she lacked sufficient leverage to get a good purchase.

"True enough," Lao replied, "But you didn't have to react, you know...if you'd maintained your self control, then I wouldn't have the excuse to do this," and with a gesture of her hand water flowed up from the deck and formed a pair of manacles around Nabiki's ankles, complete with linking chain between them, "Mind you, it's only temporary, but for now that should keep you in line until further notice."

"What-HEY!" Nabiki exclaimed as her wrists were forced together behind her back and she felt ropes being tied into place.

"The Shadowskills that great-grandmother taught you were created by female slaves in order to cope with positions such as you are presently under," Lao remarked, "But without your hands they are only half as effective, and with the length of your kick thus hobbled...well...I think that will do for now. No sense in having you gagged when we can have a nice, pleasant conversation."

"Conversation?" Nabiki spat, "What are you going to do with me, you...PERVERT?!"

"Why, nothing too special," Lao replied, "But the offer I made to you earlier still stands, so keep it in mind as your best option at the present. It certainly would behoove you to consider training with me as opposed to my just taking you on as a new bondslave and bending you to my will. My previous offer, after all, involves no mind control or hidden coercion...but if I choose to make your enslavement PERMANENT, well...let's just say that I won't feel so constrained in my methods of making you see reason."

"And why would you even want to consider giving me a chance?" Nabiki growled.

"Because it's more sporting this way," Lao shrugged, "And I'd really rather not curb those razor sharp wits of yours. I've come to enjoy these refreshing little debates we share on the propriety of what I do for a living and...besides...there is always the possibility that you are right. Maybe I am every bit the monster that you seem to think I am, in which case I should like to learn for myself if this is indeed the case."

"You're crazy!" Nabiki snapped.

"Granted," Lao replied, "What's your point?"

Nabiki stopped struggling against her bonds and said, "You want to use me as a test subject to salve your conscience by proving that you can break me and turn me into another one of your happy little sex toys? And you expect me to just go along with this?"

"What I expect you to do is to put up as much of a fight and resist me every step of the way with all the energy and resource that you can muster," Lao replied matter-of-factly, "If, by the end of the week, you have indeed held out and resisted my charms, then you will be free to go by the end of this voyage. If not...then I get to decide your fate, and I assure you, I am looking forward to keeping you on as my apprentice. You can even have the same berthing Kei-  
chan used when she my personal favorite, and you won't even be separated from the rest of your family, now...isn't that nice?"

"Nice," Nabiki said bitterly, "You really are crazy."

"You don't get to be the owner and undisputed master of a cursed ship without losing a little of your sanity," Lao said frankly, "If you doubt it, then come and take my place and you will learn the truth of it for yourself."

"I'd never be like you!" Nabiki snarled.

"Tendo-san," Lao shook her head from side-to-side with a sad expression, "I was EXACTLY like you when I first came aboard this vessel. I was a slave back then, remember? And hardly much older than you are now, and full of ideals that I never intended to compromise or set aside. Back then the thought that I would become a notorious slaver would have revolted my Amazon sensibilities, but I got over that and gradually came to terms with my lot, exactly as you will."

"I'll never submit to you!" Nabiki declared defiantly.

"Funny," Lao folded her arms, "That's exactly what nearly everyone else presently on board said themselves when they started in my service, including the Undines. So far I'd say that my methods have proven to be VERY effective and persuasive...but never mind the debate. I have something else to show you."

"I couldn't possibly care what you have to show me!" Nabiki said flatly.

"Oh, I think you will very much want to see what I have to show you," Lao turned and led the way down the corridor, followed by the Undines, who all but dragged Nabiki after their mistress.

The room into which she was herded surprised Nabiki as it turned out to contain modern electronic devices of a sophistication that she had not suspected the POJ of possessing. There were monitor screens and all sort of equipment and panels that were on hand, with trained attendants manning various keyboard stations...and to Nabiki's astonishment, she recognized two of these women as being slaves from the harem!

"First off," Lao paused in front of a wide-screen monitor that was angled about eye level for easy viewing, "I want you to meet another new guest who will be staying with us for the duration."

The screen came to life and there appeared what looked like an underwater image of a naked brown haired woman floating face-upward in a tank, moving slowly and occasionally kicking a bare leg as though involuntarily, her back arched upward with her head thrown back and her mouth wide open, her thighs parted in a suspiciously intimate matter while her arms were held out to the sides, palms also facing upward. The way her body moved indicated that she was very much alive, and there were bubbles in the water to suggest that it was aerated, but still...

"Who is she?" Nabiki asked, momentarily distracted from her own unpleasant situation.

"I would say she is your counterpart from perhaps twenty years in the future," Lao replied, "An American businesswoman who was not a part of the Liner crew. I picked her up just yesterday, along with a dozen other new candidates for enslavement who were brought in from the short by my procurial ladies."

"You what?" Nabiki said, "You shanghaied these people?"

"Well, you did insist that I let the other ones go," Lao pointed out, "And since I had to sell some of the cargo that I was carrying to pay for costs on this voyage, I had to recoup my losses somehow. But...never mind all that, shall we? The point is that this lady will be my special guest for the week and share with you the distinctive honor of being my personal pet project. As you can see, she is undergoing the reconditioning process that I was telling you about, care of the Kraken, who is pleasuring her even as we speak."

"The...Kraken?" Nabiki blanched, "That monster that does your bidding is in THAT?"

"Correction," Lao replied, "She is inside the Kraken."

"You mean he's EATING her?" Nabiki's voice squeaked under the strain of her question.

"Of course not," Lao replied, "He eats plankton. Surely you don't expect a scrawny little girl such as that is capable of sustaining the Kraken? Now...I am merely allowing him to...play with her...he derives great pleasure for taking nubile young things like you and chewing them up a bit to soften their resolve and make them more...agreeable to persuasion."

Nabiki grew pale as she considered the implications, then swallowed.

"Of course, that could be you if you decide not to cooperate," Lao mused, "The Kraken has been pleasuring her for close to fifteen hours...a record time. Normally it only takes a girl a few hours inside the belly of the beast before they give in to his charms...and then they become most cooperative houseguests. I could do much the same with my Undines, but I prefer the personal touch myself, and through the Kraken I can feel everything that the girl herself feels, experience her pleasures and her surrender, just as I know that I would enjoy feeling the moment that you give in and become the Kraken's love slave. Think about that the next time you say something unflattering about my normal, non-intrusive methods."

Nabiki did consider this, and the notion chilled her in spite of the warmth of the elemental bodies holding her tightly.

"Now then," Lao smiled cunningly, "As to the other business for which you are here...call up file STN0312, if you will please."

"Yes, my lady," one of the attendant concubines replied, and a moment later a new image appeared, though this one was clearly from increased magnification of what looked to be a microscopic object framed against a wall of cellular matter. Clearly defined, the object was a machine of some sort, yet attached both to the surface of the wall and poised above a huge cluster of round cells formed like clumped tennis balls within a cellophane envelope, each one possessing its own semi-opaque cellular structure, also attached to the wall surface.

Nabiki paused as she stared at the tiny object then said, "What is that?"

"That is a snapshot taken by an Undine at my instruction while you were stretched out and dead to the world late last evening," Lao replied, "You are familiar with fiber optic cameras? One was inserted up into much-used love canal and into your uterus...a simple process, really...the camera remains outside the body while the actual lens is the optic fiber..."

"Never mind all that," Nabiki would have pointed with her hand if she could, but at the moment her nose was all that she had available for such service, "What is that?"

"That," Lao replied, "Was taken from within you...it is a fertilized embryo, and by the amount of cell division currently in evidence, I would say that-at the time that this was taken-that it was already more than a day old...that is if we go by the regular habits of cells dividing ever twenty minutes...but in your case I would say that it was closer to twelve hours, judging by the rate of speed with which this object must have traveled down the passage from your fallopian tubes to become attached to your Uterus..."

"What?" Nabiki blinked, "W-What are you saying...?"

"I am saying that the object that is currently lodged to both the egg and your Uteral lining has somehow guarded, protected and transported the egg at a faster rate than a fertilized ovum usually travels over such a distance," Lao replied, "The cells are clearly viable and even appear to be thriving in their new environment...a healthy sign of a successful implantation. I would theorize that this cluster has-by now-grown considerably larger since this snapshot was taken, and since the rate of progress is clearly enhanced by the normal growth stimulation effect of a Jusenkyo curse..."

"I-I mean...what are you getting at?" Nabiki stammered, "That can't mean that I'm...?"

"Pregnant?" Lao smiled, "Congratulations. Of course I suspect that a gene test-  
-which can't be successfully taken until much later-will determine that your husband is the likely perpetrator...the Gods know he was at it often enough to have spawned a dozen such offspring, if nature worked on a grading point curve."

"But that's...that's impossible!" Nabiki blurted out.

"Normally I would say that you are correct," Lao replied, "But then again, circumstances for we Jusenkyo cursed individuals are hardly what anyone would call normal. By all the signs here indicated, you have a healthy baby growing within you that is the equivalent of a three-day-old zygote, but if the rate were to continue in said progress, then in around three or four months you will have another baby."

"But...I can't...my curse..." Nabiki blurted.

"Yes, that is the puzzling thing, is it not?" Lao stroked her chin in a thoughtful manner, "Ordinarily when you change genders your body automatically rejects any object determined to be foreign to the sex that you are at the present. In male form an embryo would be rejected out of hand, unless extraordinary means were to be employed in order to protect your child from the ravages of a sex-change. That is, after all, why we call these things a curse instead of a blessing...they tend to be annoyingly inconvenient."

"But..."

"Of course it may be that the curse can be induced to **ignore** an embryo in its early stages of development," Lao continued, indicating the picture, "And for that we need look no farther than the actual foreign object this camera had detected, an object not much bigger than the original egg itself would be, and yet possessing its own means of locomotion, and clearly of artificial character. An amazing design, light years ahead of anything currently possible with our science...Nanotechnology carried to a degree that is truly and utterly amazing..."

"Nanotech-Beiko!" Nabiki suddenly frowned in displeasure.

"Ah," Lao turned to regard her once again, "Your platinum-haired friend from the hospital, the one with whom I was recently in contact, who seemed to already know that you and the others had been taken on board my ship, the clever girl who pals about with a semi-divine redhead..."

"That's the one," Nabiki said through clenched teeth, "The most annoying, sultry, silver-tongued, back-stabbing double dealing little minx...!"

"Indeed?" Lao remarked, "Then she sounds like someone I very much would like to have the chance to talk to in some detail. Such a promising young child, no wonder the two of you have become such close friends that she would want to spy on you for your honeymoon and go to all these elaborate details..."

"Ex-friend," Nabiki growled, "This isn't the first time she's pulled something like this! Just two months ago she did the same thing to her girlfriend and knocked her up with a baby!"

"Now THAT I would dearly love to hear about in more detail," Lao mused, "Fortunately I think that will shortly be arranged."

"What do you mean?" Nabiki asked sharply.

"Well, I don't know them as well as you obviously seem to," Lao replied, "But I do pride myself as a judge of human nature, and I remember that Alison Kent Managi seemed more than a little bit upset about my taking her sister into captivity, even though I tried to reassure her that she would be treated well and that it was only a temporary condition..."

"Sister?" Nabiki blinked, "You have Aiko's sister on board this ship?"

"The businesswoman whom I just got through demonstrating to you," Lao replied, albeit somewhat reluctantly, "She seemed...to be in a less than agreeable mood...so I took what actions as I deemed necessary to detain her, purely for the good of my ship and crew, of course, who might have been endangered had she gone on a rampage."

"That...was Alison's SISTER?" Nabiki's eyes got extremely round at that, "You're holding a Kryptonian captive on this ship?"

"Not by choice, I assure you," Lao replied, "Who would know better the risks of making a Metahuman angry at me for-how shall I put this-going about my usual livelihood. The Gods alone know how much damage she could inflict if she were to get loose and start causing mischief...such an unfortunate situation to have tossed into my lap, but one does what she must to improvise and hope that it all works out in the long haul..."

"You are insane!" Nabiki said, "When she gets out of that Kraken's belly she is going to rip your head off and sink your ship!"

"That is certainly one possible scenario," Lao conceded, "But you can believe that I will use every means at my disposal to avoid having that happen. Pray that I succeed, because if I do not, then you and all of your loved ones will likely suffer the consequences, right along with the rest of my crew and loved ones. In the meantime, let us return to the discussion of your unexpected condition..."

"I...I can't..." Nabiki's mind refused to shift gears the way she normally would have done with great ease, "A...a baby? Ranma's baby? But...how...it..."

"The situation, as I perceive it," Lao began, "Is that the embryo can survive within you for only a short period of time before it grows too large to be accommodated by your cursed form. The obvious solution would be to find a way to keep you female for the next few months...but that is not easy to do when it comes to these curses. They have a way of **demanding** that you acknowledge their existence, and locking you in only one of your two forms is...a difficult undertaking. For now I can help by imbuing you with a level of protection that should avoid the immediate problem on a temporary basis."

"Protection?" Nabiki asked, "What protection?"

In response to this query, Lao strode over to Nabiki and placed her hand over her forehead, and for a moment nothing seemed to happen...only then a wave of blue-white warmth passed through her body, and Nabiki felt herself staggering somewhat as the elementals abruptly released her. At the same time the manacles and chains dissolved from around her ankles. Lao stood back and surveyed her own handiwork then said, "Yes...that will do...perfect."

"Perfect...what?" Nabiki blinked her eyes as she struggled to remain upright.

"I have just cast an anti-water shield around your aura," Lao replied, "Strictly temporary, but for the next few days you should be safe from accidental splashes, provided you don't try and go swimming for a few days. Oh...and yes...bathing will be a problem. I'll have to see about adjusting the field to accommodate warm instead of cold water."

"You...cast a spell on me...?" Nabiki asked dubiously.

"See for yourself," Lao held up a hand and formed a globe of moisture into a ball of sloshing water, then tossed it at Nabiki, who instinctively flinched, only to see the water bounce off of an invisible shield that sprang up around her body, the water never quite touching her skin.

Nabiki took a moment to register this fact then said, "Amazing..."

"Yes, but it does have a few problems and limitations," Lao replied, "You may find it difficult just using a glass of water, and until I reverse the field the simple act of touching your skin may seem...odd for any of your loved ones. However, after twenty four hours, this field should settle in and become less of an obstruction...which means that you will need to be isolated for about twenty four hours to insure no accidental incidents occur for which there might be...complications."

"I don't think I even want to know what that means," Nabiki said dubiously.

"Oh, there is nothing to fear...as yet," Lao smiled, "In fact I have the perfect means by which to isolate you...and it is long since time that you began your training."

Nabiki instinctively backed away from the lady tigress, the urge to run like mad coming over her as she saw the Captains eyes shift from pink to gold, which was NEVER a good sign. The Undines were-for the moment-no longer a problem, and with a ship this big it easy to get yourself lost in its labyrinthine corridors...of course the fact that she could not expect to outrun Madam Lao, let alone evade her within her own lair, did seem to make a moot point out of the impulse, not that Nabiki didn't give it the old college try, even managing to get four steps before being landed as Madam Lao pounced, then hauled the helpless Tendo girl over one shoulder and grinned like the triumphant predator that she was.

"Come along, my dear," Lao cheerfully swaggered in true Pirate-like fashion, Nabiki helplessly kicking her legs in the air to no avail, "It's time to introduce you to the rest of your new fellow classmates..."

A stirring chant of "Yo Ho!" echoed in the chamber they were vacating as numerous Undines, concubines and crewmates all smiled in tacit approval, having their own vivid memories of being rough-handled like a bit of cargo by their indomitable Mistress...

"Morning love," Beatrice called out without turning to see Alison staggering out of the bedroom, "Did you manage to get any sleep yet?"

"Hardly a wink," Alison yawned, "I was up all night fretting...just closed my eyes a bit...how about you?"

"A few hours of nap time," Beatrice replied without pausing in her keyboard typing, "Mostly while downloading new files...the sort of thing that doesn't require immediate attention. Fortunately my Nanites can stimulate the right brain chemistry to help relieve the stresses of fatigue, at least on a temporary basis."

"Lucky you," Alison yawned again, "What about the rest of our houseguests?"

"In the next room," Beatrice replied, "Sleeping it off, the same as the others. Of course I have been hearing peculiar noises on the sly, but I've been much too busy to investigate directly."

"Oh yeah?" Alison frowned, went over to the door of the guestroom and knocked, "Hey, you guys decent in there? It's nearly eight-thirty..."

"We are awake," the muffled voice of Kodachi responded, "But I would hardly call us decent..."

"Oh yeah?" Alison found the doorhandle turned without effort, indicating that it was not locked from inside, so she decided to open it and take a look, only to double-take and say, "NANI?"

"Oh, hi," a naked Kodachi smiled at her from the bed, where she sat poised with her loins clearly straddling the face of a naked male form that could be none other than Ryoga...the lost boy's other end being dominated by a bound and gagged Akane, who was tied in place with her loins clearly imbedded upon Ryoga's masculine "tent pole." Akane herself was unable to do more than merely bounce up and down over that male organ, clearly in no hurry to be released from the yards of rope that were presently holding her otherwise naked form in a fixed position, her long dark hair tied cunningly to her ankles.

A casual glance to the sides showed that the other occupants of the room-Keiko and Ryonami, were on the floor in a sixty-nine position, tied together beyond the hope of immediate release, though all that could be heard from their ends was a lot of profuse groaning and licking. The scene was so overpowering that for a moment Alison found herself unexpectedly...horny!

"You don't mind, do you?" Kodachi asked, "Akane-chan here was fretting so much about her sister that I thought she could use a little something to take her mind off her troubles. Ryoga-dear boy-was willing to accommodate...and OH MY! Has he been accommodating!" Kodachi arched her back as her tone grew more arched in a similar manner.

"You guys have been screwing around like this all night?" Alison was not sure if she were appalled or merely outraged.

"Why, of course not," Kodachi turned to look at her again, "We've only been like this for the last two hours. Before that I had everybody in a VERY different set of positions..."

Alison closed the door rather than verbally speak, then stood there poised with an uncertain expression as she fought down the urge to grab Beatrice and toss her over her shoulder with the intent of hauling her to bed and ravishing her like crazy, just on general principles. For a moment she ALMOST managed to forget about the current plight of her sister...almost...

"Well, at least someone has been having fun while I've been busy," Beatrice commented dryly, as if unaware of how near she was to being statutorily raped, "Come over here, Aiko-chan...I've isolated the signal from my probes and have managed to affix a location to the ghost ship of Madam Lao."

"Yeah?" Alison stalked over like a pregnant hippo, a reminder that proved to be a temporary mood killer, "Where is it?"

"Just crossing the Tropic of Cancer and heading in a southerly direction...Longitude 123, out into open territorial waters," Beatrice mused, "Interesting...if they proceed in a curving pattern, then their next destination may likely be the Philippines, possibly even Manila. Curious in that this is very different from what we have been given to believe is Madam Lao's normal trade route..."

"Yeah, so?" Alison asked, "Didn't Nabiki say she's got clients all over this side of the Pacific?"

"True enough," Beatrice conceded, "Now...the real question is...what-if anything-should we do about this information? Granted we have a rough general idea of the direction that she may be taking your sister and the others..."

"What do you mean what do we do?" Alison asked, "We go over there and force her to let go of my sister!"

"In your condition?" Beatrice replied, then added, "I will go...I am the one responsible for Martha being out there in the first place. If not for my meddling, then we would not even know that there was a crisis..."

"Hey, if not for you we'd still be in the dark about where she is, along with the others," Alison replied, "And no way am I letting you face that loony pirate all by yourself! You're staying right here with me and that's final."

"Hmm...perhaps a compromise," Beatrice observed, not bothering to hide the affectionate smile that crossed her lips upon hearing her lover's unvoiced concern for her welfare, "We get someone else to go after them. Now...who do we know who might be able to face down a challenge of this magnitude? Your father and mother?"

"Are you kidding," Alison winced, "I still don't know how I'm going to tell them about this in the first place! Besides, they're probably off on another mission...the world governments tend to keep them busy that way, know what I mean?"

"Indeed," Beatrice nodded, "Then perhaps their friends in the Justice League...?"

"Depends on who's in the current roster," Alison replied, "It changes so much I doubt that anybody in their satellite even knows about me. They'd just think I was a crank call."

"The Avengers then?"

"Same story," Beatrice replied, "Only we hardly ever talk to that lot, and they're mostly based in New York since they closed down their west coast branch office."

"What about the Teen Titans?"

"Just Titans these days, hardly anybody there calls them teenagers, and are we really THAT desperate?"

"What about the X-Men?"

"Are you NUTS, Beiko? We want them to FIND the ship, not blow it up!"

"Well...this does seem to limit our list of options," Beatrice mused, "Conventional military and police enforcement can be dismissed out of hand right away...Madam Lao has been on the top of the 'Most Wanted' roster of Interpol for years, and as long as she operates within international waters...what about Aquaman?"

"Arthur?" Alison replied, "He's based in the Atlantic Ocean...same with Namor, and the Pacific is Lemurian territory, a whole different matter of jurisdiction. I don't even want to THINK about going to the Deviants and asking for their help. Same with the Eternals..."

"Then what of your sister's former husband?"

"Uncle Hal?" Alison grew quiet for a moment, "Nobody's seen or heard from him in a while...about ten years ago...well...he was having some...personal problems...it affected his marriage to Sis. They got divorced a short time later and...well...somebody else is the new Green Lantern. I dunno...maybe Jade might help..."

"Jade?"

"Uncle Hal's daughter by his first marriage to some lady named Carol Ferris, who's supposed to have returned from the dead, or something like that," Alison shrugged, "Weird stuff like that is always happening in this business."

"Well then," Beatrice mused, "Perhaps this Jade is your likeliest bet for helping your sister..."

"Might be," Alison said tightly, "But Jade and Mom don't always get along, even though they used to be on the same team together, Infinity Incorporated, or something like that. I'm sure she'd help for old times sakes but...well...it may take me a while to look up her number. I haven't seen cousin Jade in ages, not since she attended a party for my father..."

"We'll keep her in mind as one of our currently likeliest options," Beatrice nodded, "Any more candidates of whom you can think off the top of your head, Aiko-chan?"

"Just one," Alison said sullenly, "My niece...Rad."

"Rad?" Beatrice repeated.

"Joan Jordan," Alison elaborated, "Only these days she's taken to calling herself Joan Wayne, go figure. She hangs out with this all-female group in Florida..."

"Do you have her number?" Beatrice asked.

"I think I remember it," Alison nodded, "The thing to keep in mind is...she doesn't get along too well with her mother...with my big Sis. She's Martha's only kid, and just a little bit older than me by a few months..."

"Then she sounds like an ideal candidate," Beatrice pondered, "Why do you hesitate?"

"Well," Beatrice squirmed, "Remember how I said that Oneechan was more...conservative than left of center? Well...Rad's the opposite extreme...she's a militant Feminazi-Gender Chauvinist who's into all sorts of really weird stuff...the black sheep of our family and all that, though personally I think she does a lot of it just to annoy the heck out of her mother..."

"She does sound as though she has...issues," Beatrice conceded.

"Yeah, to put it mildly..." Alison was about to elaborate when a knock on the door drew her attention, "Now who the heck could that be?"

"I don't know," Beatrice remarked, "Is there anyone who isn't presently tied up in our guest room?"

"Heh, good point," Alison replied as she waddled over to the door of their apartment and paused to glance through the peep-hole, then do a double-take as she hastily stepped back and opened the door in order to say, "Tendo-san...to what do we owe this honor?"

"Um...hello?" Kasumi asked hesitantly, "Aiko-chan...I've brought this box of homemade treats as a gift to you and your...partner...but I was wondering if you could tell me...is Akane still here? She called last night and said that she and Kodachi would be having a slumber party..."

"Ah...right...she's here," Alison stepped away from the door and indicated that the older girl should enter, which Kasumi did, in spite of a curious reluctance, "I'll get her for you...she's all tied up at the...I mean...busy...just sit down and I'll get her, okay?"

"Oh...all right," Kasumi replied, then sat down politely on the sofa.

"Hooboy," Alison said as she turned away, hiding the concern that she had dared not demonstrate before the oldest Tendo sister.

Beatrice turned away from her console-even as Alison vanished into the next room-and said, "How nice it is to see you again, Tendo-san...is your father doing well, and your Aunt Nodoka?"

"Well enough," Kasumi replied, then paused before adding, "Uncle Genma seemed to think that there was no immediate problem, but he did complain that Akane-chan missed her morning's practice session, along with Ryoga-kun..."

"Oh, I wouldn't worry too much along those lines," Beatrice said as she got to her feet and approached the overly polite Tendo girl, who tried not to notice that the silver haired genius was dressed in a light blue negligée that was virtually see-through, "Both Akane and Ryoga have been receiving a rather vigorous...workout of their own this morning...but how about yourself? You look well...but...forgive my asking...you do seem rather a bit pale this morning..."

"I do?" Kasumi asked in mild puzzlement, glancing down at her arm before saying, "Ah...well...Doctor Tofu believes that I need to get more iron in my diet..."

"I should think so," Beatrice remarked, "After all, it's only been a few weeks since your encounter with that vampire. You don't seem much worse for the wear...but...perhaps you do seem a little thinner than usual. I would definitely suggest that you consider adding liver to your diet..."

"Yes...perhaps you are right," Kasumi replied with a curious expression, "Liver...particularly served raw...can have all sorts of interesting...nutrients..."

"Oneechan?" asked Akane as she stepped out from the guest room, an Akane who looked as though she had hastily dressed and forgotten to comb out her hair, and whose wrists and ankles still bore the reddish marks of their recent binding, though Akane herself seemed remarkably chipper, "What are you doing here? Not that it's a bad thing to see you, but..."

"Oh my," Kasumi blinked, "Akane-chan...did I catch you at a bad time?"

"Er...how do you mean?" Akane blinked.

"It's just that you...smell as though you've recently had sex, my sister," Kasumi said matter-of-factly, "Were you and Ryoga...?"

"Um..." Akane fidgeted and squirmed, looking like a little girl who had been caught doing something very naughty by a parent, even adopting a pose with her hands cupped behind her back, one leg partially crossing in front of another and her head hunched down nearer to her shoulders.

"Akane-chan," Kasumi chided, "Don't you know that it's improper to do such things before you are married? Oh well...I suppose that I can't really blame you for not being able to wait...and neither could Ryoga, it seems..."

"Huh?" Akane blinked again, "How do you...?"

"I can smell his semen from here," Kasumi replied, "Haven't I warned you both before about using protection? Do you want to become pregnant before you graduate high school, like Ukyo and Shampoo?"

"Well..." Akane winced, "Not really..."

"Well," Kasumi shrugged, "He is your fiancée, so I guess there's no harm to it, and in a few more months you'll be married anyway..."

"Um...you won't tell Dad, will you?" Akane asked.

"Father doesn't really like to be too concerned about such things," Kasumi smiled, "And Aunt Nodoka would just say that Ryoga's behavior was very manly. Just be careful not to play too rough with him, and do feel free to come to me if you have any questions."

"Do...Natsume and Kurumi also know?" Akane wondered.

"They may suspect that you are seeing Ryoga on the side," Kasumi replied as she got back to her feet, "But they are your sisters and will respect your privacy. Besides...they have young men of their own with whom they choose to spend their time. Well, I just came over to see if you were well, but now that I better understand the situation, I guess I ought to be going..."

"Oh, must you?" Beatrice asked, "We were just about to make a late breakfast, and it would be wonderful to have an excellent chef, such as yourself, to help prepare our meal. Among the delicacies we plan on servicing will be...Blood Pudding."

"Blood...pudding?" Kasumi once again gained that peculiar expression, "Well...I suppose that I could help out, since you asked me to..."

"Blood Pudding?" Alison turned a questioning look towards Beatrice, who made a demurring hand motion.

"Great!" Akane said with a grin, "I'm starving! I was even thinking about helping out in the kitchen with one of Kodachi's recipes..."

"URK!" Alison got a round-eyed expression, and even Beatrice seemed alarmed at the prospect.

"I'd be delighted for your companionship, Imoutochan," Kasumi said graciously, "But...I don't think it would be too polite if you kept Ryoga waiting."

"Right," Alison said, and unceremoniously grabbed Akane by the arm, all but hauling her out of there and shoving her back into the guest room, "Tell Ryoga and the others to dress decently and we'll see you soon enough, right guys?"

Some muffled noises responded to that query right before Alison firmly closed the door and muttered, "And I thought Ceiko had problems with cooking..."

"Oh?" Kasumi blinked, "You mean there are others in that room with Ryoga and my sister...?"

"Right this way, Kasumi-chan," Beatrice smoothly directed, tactfully avoiding both the question and its implied subject matter, "I'm sure you'll find that we have a fully stocked and prepared kitchen with all the ingredients that you will need to prepare a sumptuous breakfast. Why, I've even prepared a special concoction that I want to try out with you, if it's all right by your standards."

"A...concoction?" Kasumi blinked again, then watched as Beatrice opened the refrigerator and removed a carafe bottle of some reddish-brown mixture, which she poured into a glass and handed to Kasumi.

"Please feel free to try this out," Beatrice offered, "It's a special blend that I whipped up the other morning using fresh fruits, vegetables and...other ingredients that you may find has a pleasurable taste."

"Well, I suppose..." Kasumi paused, her nose poised over the glass as she sipped, then without preamble she drank the contents down in one long gulp, finishing the glass in seconds before holding it out again with a polite, "More please?"

"But of course," Beatrice handed her the bottle, "Take as much as you like, I'll even give you the recipe."

"That would be wonderful," Kasumi said, ignoring the glass and drinking straight from the bottle.

Alison's eyes goggled as she saw one-and-a-half liters of "special beverage" get downed in one long swallow by Kasumi, who seemed to relish the mixture as though it were liquid honey. Swallowing thickly, she leaned closer to Beatrice and said, "Um...isn't that...?"

"Yes," Beatrice replied smoothly, as though suspicions were being confirmed about their house guest.

"That was wonderful," Kasumi said as she politely dabbed her chin with her fingers, then licked the remaining "juice" off her own digits, "What do you call that, by the way?"

"Tomato Juice Surprise," the silver-haired genius responded.

"Odd," Kasumi paused, "It didn't quite taste like tomato juice...but...oh well..."

And to that comment Alison could only feel along her neck and swallow thickly, not at all liking the implications...

Continued.

Comments/Criticisms/Crimson Beverages ala Transylvania: shadowmane

The plot coagulates-ah-thickens a bit more as Nabiki begins her training under Lao, who had to "break the news" to the rest of her guests that visitor privileges have been **temporarily** suspended, while Martha continues to undergo the her own peculiar brand of "re-orientation," and Kasumi prepares to serve up -AHH-I mean, serve breakfast to her loved ones...and what a pleasant surprise? She notices that Ryoga-kun is looking very... appetizing... while she cooks bacon. Be with us next time for: "Blood is Thicker than Sake," or "I have a Vein to Pick with you!" Be there!

X

If you wish to check out my other works, Please check out my Fanfiction webpage at: . All related chapters of this series can be found there along with my other works.  
/pre 


	8. Chapter 8

preDNabikiTHC8

Nabiki 1/2

"A Very Scary Thought!"

THE HONEYMOON HENTAI CHAPTERS!

By Jim Robert Bader

(Inspired by the works of Rumiko Takahashi Others,  
with special thanks to the creative genius of such talents as Siegel Schuster, Larry Niven and Robert Black-and no,  
I didn't ask their permission to do this, how could I?)

Part Eight.

HENTAI ALERT-YOU ARE ENTERING THE LEMON PLEDGE ZONE WHERE NORMAL STANDARDS OF GOOD TASTE DO NOT APPLY!  
THIS WORK CONTAINS EXAMPLES OF BONDAGE, SADO-MASOCHISM,  
BISEXUALITY, INCEST, ANAL, VAGINAL AND ORAL PENETRATION AND UNLAWFUL ACTS PERFORMED WITH THE SERVICES OF A TENTACLE-RAPE BEAST CALLED THE KRAKEN. MADAM LAO IS A VILLAINESS OF MY OWN CREATION AND ANYONE WHO IS CONFUSING HER WITH A SOCIAL WORKER HAD BETTER SEEK PROFESSIONAL HELP AT THE NEAREST OPPORTUNITY.  
YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED!

"I dunno, Sham-chan," Ukyo remarked, "Nabchan's been gone for a while now...what do you think could be holding her up?"

"Shampoo not know," the Amazon replied as the two of them sat side-by-side, each suckling their infants, who had been drawing sustenance from their respective mothers for well over two hours, "Think maybe Nabiki lose temper and maybe push Cousin Lanocane too far?"

"Could be," Ukyo frowned, wondering faintly why she did not feel more self-  
conscious about being completely naked beside the purple haired girl, to whom she was now-at least technically-co-married, "The question is...what do we do about it if Lao decides to break her word and detain her? Not exactly like we can fight our way off this ship while we're out to see and still protect our kids from possible danger."

"Is true," Shampoo concluded sadly, "We no in good position for this. Cousin know that we know she had advantage, and even if we want fight, anything we do risk safety of little ones. Even Ranma no risk that, so maybe only choice we have is to wait for right time and act when is best chance, yes?"

"I dunno, Sugar," Ukyo grumbled, "There's something about that lady that I just don't trust. She's too slick, for one thing, too smooth the way she can justify just about anything she wants to do on the slightest technicality. You weren't with us the last time we were here, when Lao took everything we had and just laughed it off. The only way Nabiki was able to beat her was by a combination of the Nekoken and the Hiryu Shoten Ha, and even then we all came close to drowning. I don't think even Nabchan would risk that this time around...but still...I know I shouldn't feel this way, but...I do kind of feel like I owe her a favor. If wasn't for her meddling...Perchan and me would never have had this baby."

"Aiyaa," Shampoo softly sympathized with her fellow wife, glancing from the half-drowsy Fragrance to her own equally well-contented Lylac, "Is big dilemma, yes? Is what Airen call a...catch twenty-something?"

"Catch 22," Ukyo replied with a faintly rueful smile, "I owe Lao for helping us to have this baby, but because of the baby I don't dare stand against her in a fight for our freedom. Some difference."

"Aiyaa," Shampoo nodded faintly, "Is no use even pretending we fight her. But Shampoo think we maybe wait and see what cousin is really up to. Shampoo no think she simply take prisoners to make do bidding."

"Of course not, Sugar," Ukyo half-leered at the well-endowed Amazon, "She wants to have sex with us, probably try and turn us into mindless drones like she's got populating this seraglio of hers..."

"Shampoo no think it so simple as that," the purple hair girl cocked her head and coyly added, "But can see why she maybe want Spatula Girl to be sex-toy. She maybe want you to eat bush while you on all fours...maybe even you like it?"

"Hah," Ukyo scoffed, leering back, "More like she wants a taste of those jugs of yours...can't really blame her for that...the little nipper there seems to think that they're the next best thing to haven."

"Look who talking," Shampoo smiled with a kittenish expression, "Think maybe Ukyo's bosom taste just as nice as Shampoo. You want try later?"

"You got a date on that one, Sugar," Ukyo grinned, then tossed a glance over her shoulder and added, "A sure bet you'll be more available than those two rutting Tom-cats. For someone who used to profess that she was only into girls, Perchan sure seems to be making up for lost time, eh?"

"Aiyaa," Shampoo averred for the third time, this time sounded both impressed and appalled at one and the same instant, "Perfume-cousin always say she no like men, but make big exception for Ranma...and is wonder he still going!"

"Like an Energizer Bunny," Ukyo agreed, shaking her head slowly, "Don't know where he gets his energy...I thought for sure he'd be too pooped to pop after the first hour..."

Unbeknownst to both women, Ranma was-at that very moment-wondering much the same thing about himself, though if pressed to answer the question would have protested that it was Perfume who was prolonging the whole experience, turning it from a simple act of copulation into a cram marathon-type session. Just watching her bounce up and down over his still-stiff rod while her huge breasts bobbed in an almost hypnotic fashion was an experience by itself, and just having a pair of silken thighs be wrapped around him to hold him pinned against the bed was a yet-arousing experience that kept him erect in spite of him having twice shot a load into deep into her vulva. His hands were steadying her and stimulating her hip and side nerve-clusters to insure that the pleasure was definitely mutual, but it was Perfume who insisted on prolonging the experience, and working her charms over Ranma with an arousing touch that would put shame to a gallon of Viagra.

To be certain, it was far from the first time that he had mounted her...that was yesterday, of course...but he already knew Perfume's body in infinite detail, having explored her entire nervous system while working out with her to perfect the Kamasenken. At times such as these he was amazed by her beauty, wondering why it had taken him so long to even notice that she was beautiful, and why it had taken the near equivalent of statutory rape on her part before she could get him to lay hand on her in a manner much to her liking. All the suspicion and resentment that he had once directed her way was gone, replaced by a tender appreciation of what a special kind of person Perfume was, and how her higher-  
sensitive nervous system could be turned into an asset, giving her a thrill beyond anything that might be experienced by a woman with a less heightened state of sensory awareness.

But-even given all of that-there were limits to what any man could be expected to achieve, even given a wife this desirable and...vivacious. He had nearly reached his limits the previous evening when trying to please her, Nabiki and the others, and now that he had only a few hours to recover from that, he was being called upon to satisfy the appetites of a "born-again Bisexual," and one who seemed to subscribe to the Amazon creed of "Take no Prisoners" when it came down to her man-milking!

He was privately hoping that she would let up soon, or at least be content with him turning his attentions back to a little harmless foreplay. He would have welcomed the chance to spend more time working on her "breast-meat," or maybe using his mouth to pleasure her loins...or go to work on her legs...yes, Perfume had excellent, well-turned and finely muscled legs that a man could delight in savoring for long hours...and well-shaped feet that cried out for a little toe-  
sucking. Indeed, everything about Perfume was worth a long and languorous session...anything but to "go where no real MAN had gone before," doing things that even Mousse in his wildest sex-fantasies would have found shocking!

Thus distracted as he was, it was with a bit of amazement that he came to the realization-half consciously no less-that he had barely had time to think of Nabiki-or anything else-for the better part of two hours! It was incredible to think that Perfume could so utterly monopolize his attention so that he barely registered the fact that Nabiki was no where in evidence. He half expected to see "Kaneda" creeping up behind the deliriously sex-crazed Perfume to service her in the "rear entrance," (assuming, of course, that anal sex was not too painful for the hypersensitive Enforcer to endure) or-failing that-  
Ranma would gladly service her from either end-fore or aft-while Nabiki took her on the opposite pole, all the better to enjoy a tasty "Perfume Sandwich." Yes...so many possibilities indeed that were worth exploring, but...not when he was the sole exclusive victim of her rampant nymphomania! He definitely would have preferred reinforcements, and half-considered calling out to Ukyo and Shampoo to come to his rescue.

That was why he felt hope-rather than despair-stir up within him when he thought that he heard Madam Lao's voice as the Pirate Captain appeared on the scene beyond the curtained partition. Since Ukyo and Shampoo had opted to suckle their daughters on a bench just beyond this filmy barrier, he could easily hear every word that was spoken as a familiar , "Nihao...how are you lovely ladies doing, Cousins? Is everything here to your immediate satisfaction?"

Of course there was an odd quavering sound to Lao's voice, but it definitely sounded like her as he continued to listen in, even as Perfume herself paused atop him.

"Well...more or less," Ukyo replied, "Your people are sure friendly and helpful and all of that, but then again...I guess that's how you trained them..."

"My girls are indeed well versed in the domestic arts," Lao replied, "And we are used to post-natal care and handling within my harem. There are few jealousies among us here, and all are equal in my eyes..."

"But some more equal than others, yes, Cousin?" Shampoo countered.

"Well, that goes without saying," Lao shrugged, "So...does motherhood suit you as much as you thought it might? You do look very good with a baby in your arms...and the same should be said as well for you, Kuonji-san."

"Thanks," Ukyo replied somewhat cautiously, "But I guess I owe it to you for that, huh?"

"Not entirely," Lao replied, "I may have helped arrange for Cousin Perfume to get you with child, but the actual acceptance of my gift was your doing, as was having to put up with a few months of accelerated pregnancy. I am sorry that I had to inconvenience you, and I know it was rude of me to force you both into making a choice that might have been better postponed until a later date..."

"Hey, it's done, right?" Ukyo replied, "No sense crying over spilled okonomiyaki."

"Cousin," Shampoo said with more caution in her tone, "Where is Nabiki, and why she no with you?"

"Ah, yes..." Lao began slowly, "That is the other reason why I came down here to seek you out. Nabiki is...quite well, and I give you my word that no harm has come to her, nor will any harm befall any of you while you are guests within my sanctum. Unfortunately I have discovered something...rather significant that compels me to ask that Nabiki be temporarily isolated from the rest of you...a regrettable but necessary detention that should in no way adversely affect your stay here."

"What's wrong?" Ukyo said sharply, "What did you do with Nabiki?"

"As I said," Lao replied, "I have been forced to...detain her. She has a medical condition that was quite recently discovered by my people...nothing serous, I assure you, but definitely something that does bear a more detailed examination. I am putting her on a forty-eight hour quarantine just in case what I suspect to be true might require more extensive research..."

"Is Airen well?" Shampoo asked, getting to her feet, "Shampoo go to Nabiki..."

"I will allow that...but only after forty-eight hours," Lao insisted with a hand raised to still her cousin's outburst, "You must understand...her condition is complicated by her possessing a Jusenkyo curse. I am taking what steps I deem necessary to help stabilize her condition, but for now complete rest and isolation are necessary. Besides, you don't want to be exposed to anything contagious that might adversely affect your daughters, now do you?"

"Ah...well..." Ukyo hesitated.

"Cousin," Shampoo growled dangerously, "If you is lying about Nabiki..."

"Lying?" Lao acted surprised, "Why would I be lying?"

"Because Shampoo see lips moving," Shampoo's nostrils flared, "And way you talk sound too much like great-grandmother."

"Ow," Lao winced, "Now that was a low blow."

"Is true, no?" Shampoo said flatly, "You no telling us full story."

Perfume-by this point-had left off on her bouncing session and was paused to listen in while remaining imbedded on Ranma's "flag pole." Ranma was himself torn between shock, surprise and outright exhaustion, alternately worried about Nabiki while simultaneously thanking the Kami that his ordeal was (at least temporarily) suspended.

"You're right," Lao admitted, "I'm not telling you the full story...but there is a good reason, and it has to do with your wife's current...state of health, shall we say?"

"And what that mean?" Shampoo asked her.

"Well, if you insist on knowing before all the tests are in," Lao sighed, "Then I might as well tell you what I and my people have already determined, which-  
to put it in layman's terms-means that Nabiki, your senior co-wife, is pregnant."

There was a suitable pause while the implications of those words trickled in, and then Ranma heard Ukyo and Shampoo echo the word, "PREGNANT?"

He only had to think about it himself for a few more seconds and then he rolled up his eyes and stopped resisting the urge to faint. Perfume noticed that he went abruptly soft within her and sighed, then did her own double-take and then she too echoed the word, "PREGNANT?" and collapsed like a nude human blanket atop him...

Madam Lao heaved a sigh from the deck upon which she was actually standing at that moment, allowing her Avatar to sigh as well and murmur aloud, "Ah...men, they tend to be such predictable darlings...but then again, so do us girls, if you want to be completely honest on that subject..."

"Mistress?" Lotus asked, drawing her attention back to her actual living body.

"Um...excuse me, darlings," Lao said again, "But I'm being called away to other business. I'll drop by later and give you more details about Nabiki and her condition. Ciao."

She physically turned to regard her pink-haired lieutenant, even as her Avatar dissolved and reformed back into the Undine spirit whom had been so graced as to house a part of her essence. Lao addressed herself to Lotus and said, "What is it?"

"You wished to be informed when the Kraken was finished working with your other guest," the shorter pink-haired girl replied, "Granted that I don't know his moods as well as you, but he seems to be flashing the point that he is ready to release her."

"Ah," Lao turned her focus elsewhere and said, "Yes, I do see him waving the tentacle now...yes, indeed...she is ready to hatch out. Have you seen to the preparations, as I've instructed?"

"But of course, Mistress," Lotus replied, indicating a pair of human attendants who carried in their hands the requested items, "The special chains are ready, as are the other items that you wished us to procure while in port."

"Good," Lao nodded, then paused as she sensed a pensiveness in her lifelong companion, "You are worried that I am going too far this time, I know that look well...you think that this time may be the one where I bite off more than I can swallow."

"Mistress," Lotus replied, "I would never think to criticize your decisions, but...are you certain that it is wise to play with this one? Considering what she could do if she gets loose..."

"Actually, I'm much more concerned about the implications that may result if I should attempt to keep her longer than necessary," Lao averred, "But never mind that now. Let us proceed with the program."

Lotus bowed and stepped back away from her lady Captain, then watched as a swelling mass rose up from the blackness of the pit to one side, which opened out to the mass that was the Kraken. The gelatinous column swelled to burgeoning heights, towering over their heads like a luminously translucent shadow, and then it curled down, orienting its mass over Lao's head and paused for a moment before opening up at the end and ejecting a human body.

Lao caught this womanly form as it literally fell into her arms, then cradled the nude Martha Kent as gently as the proverbial baby. The demi-Kryptonian woman proved to be a lot heavier in her arms than even Lao would have reckoned, but she managed the extra mass well enough as she eased Martha down and set her out upon the wooden ramp upon which she and her crewmates had been all this while standing. Though appearing to be a slime-slick mass of limp human flesh, Martha quivered slightly and drew a deep breath that indicated her semi-  
conscious, near-exhausted status.

"Quickly now," Lao said after checking to insure that the naked woman's vital signs were as strong as she had anticipated, "The chains if you will please?"

Lotus nodded and ordered her people to step forward, and at once a crewmate knelt down and placed a pair of golden manacles around the naked Martha's ankles, another doing the same with Martha's wrists, pausing to wrap a chain around her waist before affixing the other manacle around her other wrist, thus insuring that her reach and stride would be effectively hobbled. More objects were placed on the unresisting victim, and finally a leather collar was fixed around her neck, sealed with a lock shaped like a heart, thus adorning the half-  
Kryptonian as a "properly" outfitted member of Lao's harem.

"Very good," Lao said as she did a quick inspection of the handiwork of her people, then she gathered Martha into her arms again and said, "Now...we need to get you cleaned up so you will be fit and ready to join me for dinner. I am certain that this time you won't be quite so reluctant to accept my hospitality."

With that in mind she turned and lead the way down the ramp and towards the living quarters of the vessel, in the process passing through one of the chambers in which new "recruits" were dangling from the ceiling in a number of rope-bound, awkward poses. One in particular watched Lao pass by and frowned, her eyes conveying the mark of her displeasure.

Nabiki was hardly all that surprised upon discovering that her captor was a Mistress of the Japanese art of Nebu Shibari, or Rope Bondage. Indeed, some objective portion of her mind could appreciate the cunning way in which she was herself now bound with lengths of nylon cord that were wrapped around her body in such a way that she was being held totally immobile without any significant loss of circulation. If anything she was almost...comfortable...in her current position...she just could not move anything but her eyelids, and she had been frozen like that for the two hours that had transpired since her altercation with Lao. To be absolutely clear about it, those two hours had been remarkably...uneventful.

However, as awkward as her present posture might be, some of the other nude girls whom she could observe sharing the chamber with her were-if anything-  
even more uncomfortable looking. There were a dozen of them in all-including Nabiki-her fellow "classmates," as Lao had put it. They were being stored (there was no more delicate way of putting it) in the hold like dangling cargo, like ripe fruit hung from the rafters to preserve their freshness, an exotic lot who ran the scale of feminine beauty, from oriental to western, from brunette to blonde and even one redhead. Physically fit and at the peak of feminine perfection, they were each rope-bound in a different position that collectively shared the trait of being quite awkward and definitely exploitative!

Lao had left her there among these already-captive girls with no more thought than it might take to park a car in a garage, and in her manner-of-fact manner she had made it seem as though she were doing Nabiki a considerable favor. That Nabiki would have argued the point was moot as her could not so much as grunt though the red rubber ball that was presently fastened in her mouth by a leather harness. For all the care and attention Lao had devoted to her rope binding, Nabiki had to silently compliment her artistry in her craft for there was not an inch of slack by which she might use to work herself free, no leverage and no advantage to be found in freeing herself from her synthetic rope prison. Lao certainly knew her business, and that was a most annoying thing to Nabiki, who had never been trapped up this way before and did not much relish the thought of remaining like this for any great span of time. It amazed her that she even had circulation with all the lengths of cord that had been employed to the task of holding her immobile, but in a way it made sense that Lao would bind her in a manner that was only faintly uncomfortable and not actually threatening to her health...aside from a light breeze that she could feel playing across her otherwise naked body.

Two hours of being held like this was most...annoying. Nabiki could not recall a time when she had been forcibly incarcerated for that length of time, or even a quarter this long during all her years of traveling with her "Uncle Genma." Having her freedom taken away from her in such a forceful and dramatic fashion was jarring to her sensibilities, and yet so far this was the worst to which she had been subjected. Not so with the other girls, who were being periodically attended to by both human and Undine attendants. Every now and then Nabiki would see one of the slithering aqueous shapes sliding down some ropes to surround and engulf a girl, and them moments later drop out of sight once again with the girl shivering slightly, but not-one would assume-from a cold draft. No doubt the elementals were checking up on these girls while servicing their needs (and Nabiki had more than a little idea of what that might consist of, having experienced it directly the previous morning) to see to it that the girls did not "spoil on the vine," which would be upsetting to their Mistress.

Of course the elementals ignored her, being warded against contact with her skin thanks to Lao's elemental magic. That meant that her bladder would no doubt begin to fill and before too long need serious relieving, at which point she did hope that Lao or someone would come to her rescue, or even Ranma! As much as she did not want to be found in such a compromising position, it would be worth enduring a little ribbing just to be let down from this mess! Whatever fiendish schemes Lao had in mind for her, this hanging about with nothing to do was the ultimate kind of monotonous torture. The only way it could get any worse, in her opinion, was if they were playing elevator music in the background, but even Lao was far from THAT evil!

Ranma...how long would it take for him and the others to discover what Lao was doing and to come after her, hopefully to her rescue and not seek out a direct confrontation, because of all her immediate family, only Ranma stood even a shadow of a prayer in a direct encounter with Lao, and NO WAY did she want Ranma anywhere near Lao with her wanton ways and sexually predatory habits, and so what if she professed to only love girls these days? She had a husband once...er...twice...well...no question that she was Bi and not exclusively Gay, and with Ranma showing all the signs of a healthy libido...

Ranma! It suddenly clicked with her...something to do with Ranma and his Kamasenken! Lao had obviously been keeping an eye on them from afar-no doubt with that "Lens of Magellan" thingie-there was no question whatsoever that she knew about Ranma and his training with the Senken, so why not the whole package? That meant she knew what a "sex machine" Ranma had turned into recently, maybe she wanted to know more about him "up close and personal like," in which case...NABIKI WAS GOING TO KILL HIM-UH-HER-WHATEVER!

Seething as she was with a sudden burst of jealous rage, she still had enough presence of mind to harbor fears and doubts for the rest of her loved ones, who might not even know what had happened to Nabiki as yet, though surely the revelation of Lao's treachery would be forthcoming...if they were not already dangling in chains or ropes in some other part of this vessel! Not knowing about their welfare was torture in itself, though she did have some assurance that Lao would not harm their children-the Kami knew what else she had in mind for them! If that was the case, then no rescue would be immediately forthcoming, and if anything her would-be rescuers would themselves be in need of a rescue!

It was impossible to predict what Lao would do with Nabiki now that she had her at her mercy and in her clutches...her previous experiences were but a foretaste of the likely mischief that Lao would put her through, especially with her pledge of "convincing" Nabiki to "turn" and accept her as her Mistress. Nabiki silently vowed that this would never happen, but she knew Lao's cunning well enough to expect that the slaver would use every means at her disposal to work her will upon Nabiki's person. The same would go for Ranma and the others, and there was nothing that she could presently do about that. All that she did know for certain was that Lao meant serious business this time, and-playful or not-  
-she was a definite menace who could neither be ignored nor avoided!

What was taking her so long? Did Lao intend to leave her like this until she had to beg for release? Oh yes...Lao had that other lady to play with now, the one Nabiki had seen being "pleasured" by the Kraken. A Kryptonian... Alison's... sister? Was that it? She did recall Alison mentioning that she had an older sister from her father's...or was that her mother's...first marriage? How the heck did Lao gain the upper hand with a Kryptonian? Weren't they supposed to have god-like abilities far beyond those of ordinary mortals?

And...this was the kicker...what was Nabiki to make of the recent revelation about her possibly being...pregnant? The very word caused Nabiki to swallow thickly, realizing the implications, with her curse and with the likelihood that Ranma was the father (that is, assuming Beatrice didn't encode her own DNA with that nanobot, in which case Nabiki was going to seriously SPANK HER!). The idea of being possibly pregnant was...stunning...and even though she had recently turned eighteen, Nabiki was-at least technically-still in High School with another year until graduation...how could she be having a baby when she had not even yet been accepted into college?

College...if she could have laughed at that moment, she would. Here she was thinking about her education when that was exactly what Lao was threatening to give her! At this rate she would be lucky to escape winding up in a Turkish Sultan's seraglio instead of becoming one of Lao's own personal gaggle of carefully cultured and mind-controlled hens, and never mind that talk about Lao abstaining from using her mind control powers on Nabiki! This would be an education all right, and Nabiki would learn one way or another!

And-damn! There was an itch along the side of her nose that she could not even scratch, but which was driving her crazy! Bad enough to be hung out like a piece of meat, but if Lao was going to torture her, then she might as well get down to it because this waiting was turning out to be...well...REAL torture...which...was probably the point all along...and wouldn't that just suit Lao's own perverse sense of humor?

What was she doing with that other woman? Lao had said something about her being an older version of Nabiki, but what the heck did that mean...and why was she feeling so warm all of a sudden? Like a...tingling was in the air...like her body was starting to get prickly all over...not like with the loss of blood to her limbs, but more like a feeling...as if her nerves were starting to slowly wake up and demand attention...

Oh Kami-sama-she was feeling horny all of a sudden! No doubt more of Lao's foul mischief at work, breaking down at the barriers of her resolve with the power of arousal, but OH! Did Nabiki want desperately to pleasure herself, or to feel the hands of Shampoo caressing her skin, or Ranma plying his own brand of masculine magic...anything but to just...wait here and feel increasingly frustrated!

(Lao-whatever you do, whatever you have planned, you'd better get back here and get me down from this, or so help me-I WILL KILL YOU!) That impotent threat mentally echoed into the spaces that surrounded them, to which only the demands of her own flesh gave reply as she continued to dangle there waiting...alone amid the other slave 'recruits', horny, angry...and ever more increasingly frustrated...

Martha fluttered her eyelids and slowly came back to full awareness of her surroundings...or such as those surroundings were, what with all sorts of curious stimuli that were belatedly registering upon her much aggrieved senses.

She had been...where? It was difficult to focus...and yet now she felt...remarkably fine, all other things being considered equal, equal being the cold metal she felt over portions of her body, including a curious...pinching sensation around her nipples. She felt nothing but warm air against her skin, which suggested an absence of clothing, which was...alarming...however...she did feel that her bare rump was sitting on a chair against whose back hers was currently resting. Her feet were similarly set against the smooth surface of a wooden floor, and as her eyes fluttered open she saw a table laid out before her.

To be more accurate, a table weighted down with platters of food, and at the other end of said table sat her hostess, Madam Lao, who was similarly naked but unencumbered by any restraints or bindings, unlike Martha, who discovered the fetters around her wrists and ankles. The Captain was resting her elbows on the table, hands folded together with her chin resting upon them, a knowing smile written on her face as she gave a pink-eyed stare that was frank and in some odd sense even friendly.

"Did you have a nice nap?" Lao asked her, "Perhaps now we can pick up where we left off before we were so rudely interrupted. Oh, and feel free to eat...I am positive this time that you will have the appetite."

"What...?" Martha stared down at her wrists, seeing the gold chains linking her hands together with one end looping around her waist before connecting to her other wrist. She balled her hands into fists and tried to rip those chains apart, but all she got was a mild twinge in both her wrists and kidneys as the chains stubbornly remained intact, resisting her best efforts.

"What have you done to me?" she asked in dismay, sensing that the rest of her superpowers were also somehow missing.

"Orichalcum chains," Lao explained, "There was a set kept in storage on this ship when I first took it over. It's an Alchemical alloy of gold and copper that was discovered in the long-ago past by wizards who crafted the metal for its special property of being able to absorb the Mana energy from anything in which it is in contact. Those bracelets and chains are dampening your natural biosolar absorption ability, and as long as you wear them you will be-for all intents and purposes-mortal."

"Mortal?" Martha repeated as if unable to comprehend the meaning of that word.

"Well, more than human but less than a god anyway," Lao shrugged, "Mind you, I've met gods before, and they can be pretty..."

"Overbearing?" Martha finished for her, "Tell me about it...so...why are you doing this, chaining me up like this?"

"Isn't it obvious?" Lao replied, "You had just discovered what it is that I do for a living and were about to overreact, so I took what steps I could to avoid an unpleasant situation, putting a damper on your would-be hero act. Sorry about that, by the way, but I think, if you hear the full story, you'll understand why it was necessary..."

"Necessary," Martha rattled her chains, both on her wrists and her ankles, "And I suppose stripping me naked is also your idea of necessary?"

"Weeeelll...it is for me," Lao's smile deepened, "Seeing you like that...does bring a smile to my face. Don't worry, though, I am not going to hurt you..."

"Hurt me?" Martha replied, "Shouldn't you be more afraid of what I'll do to you when I get loose? And, for that matter, why didn't you just kill me when you had the chance?"

"Kill you? I would sooner deface a Rembrandt than harm a hair upon your head," Lao responded, sounding genuinely offended by the notion, "You are much too beautiful and rare a flower for that, nor would I do anything to permanently remove your Kryptonian powers...they are too much a part of you, and your branch of the human family is endangered enough as it is. Have no fear on that end, I have no intention of harming you...I only wanted to slow you a down a bit so that you might be willing to hear me out and...talk a little."

"Talk?" Martha replied, vague memories flooding back to her, "After what you did to me I ought to kill you..."

"But you won't," Lao replied, "Code against killing...I've scanned your memories...several times, in fact. While you were under the influence of the Kraken I had a very good look at your life and I know better now what sort of person you truly are. It's another reason why we're having this talk in my private quarters."

"Kraken," Martha glanced down, then a peculiar expression crossed her lovely features, "You fed me to that creature...I was in its stomach for over ten hours!"

"Seventeen-point-nine hours to be exact," Lao corrected, "Congratulations, a new ship record."

"Never mind that...what was that...thing...?" Martha asked.

"The Kraken?" Lao mused as she seemed to glance off into space for a moment, "It's a mystery wrapped around an enigma, although someone once told me it was related to the Angels. I wouldn't know myself...I only know that it is very ancient and very powerful, and it is under my complete command. Actually, we have something more akin to a partnership, I give it purpose, it protects me. The original owner who was something of a major-league eccentric...a Taoist Wizard no less...who bound it to this ship, but...that really isn't all that important. What you're really asking me is why I fed you to him. Well...simply put, that was only one of his stomachs, and you weren't being digested either. The Kraken doesn't eat human flesh unless I tell it to...for the most part it lives only on plankton. But it does have...other needs...and on occasions I sometimes supply them."

"Needs?" Martha's eyebrows arched at the realization, "You can't possibly mean...?"

"What's the matter?" Lao leered, "Never dated an octopus before? Or are you the type of girl who never goes as far as a kiss on the first date?"

Martha frowned again, "I don't see why I should trade words with someone who put me through the kind of paces you...eighteen hours did you say?" her tone took on a faintly appalled note at that realization.

"That's right," Lao replied, "Usually a girl never lasts more than two hours before she yields to the Kraken's will. That you held out for so long is quite remarkable and a fine testament to your willpower, or perhaps you are even harder up for it than I had originally imagined. I did think that you were suffering the pangs of unrequited lust long before I introduced you to my silent partner, and as evidence that you have not suffered any ill effects at his hands...um...tentacles, I ask you now...how are you feeling?"

"I'm..." Martha frowned, "I'm fine..." her expression became more puzzled, "I don't feel...bad at all. It's strange but...it's like a great weight has been lifted from my shoulders..."

"The burden of your life, that great weight of emotion that has been weighing you down and eating away at your self-esteem like a silent cancer," Lao explained, "You were carrying a lot of baggage when you came here, some deeply withheld and unexpressed issues that needed to be vented. Cleaning out the cobwebs of your mind, as it were, has helped you to relive and come to terms with many past mistakes and regrets that you've been harboring unexpressed. The Kraken let you experience those issues, and now you no longer feel them to be quite so much of a...burden."

"Did you brainwash me to forget them...or something?" Martha asked, then glanced down to see that it was a pair of nipple-clamps that causing her to feel that odd pinching sensation. She tried to lift a hand to remove one of them, only to discover that her chains prevented her from lifting them high enough to accomplish this feat.

"Nothing so crude as all that," Lao assured, "You have forgotten nothing of your past, it is simply the jumbled clutter of your thoughts that needed streamlining. Now you have achieved a level of inner peace and calm that would normally take many years of psychological counseling to attain... congratulations."

"But you've still violated my privacy and my thoughts," Martha glowered, "I should be furious with you for that...you've done things to me that are obscene and unforgivable..."

"And yet you don't hate me, is that it?" Lao replied, "Your logic and reason are telling you that I am the enemy, that you cannot possibly forgive what I have done to you, let alone condone my methods...but instead your emotions are saying something entirely different, something not quite logical to your way of thinking."

"Yes," Martha scowled, "Why don't I hate you?"

"Human nature," Lao replied, "It is perverse and full of paradox. The mind says one thing, the heart pulls in a different direction. The war between these two is the reason why so many people are unhappy. For years you've been fighting your own desires, burying your emotional needs beneath an avalanche of contradictory beliefs and ideals. You have been subconsciously fighting again that idea, perfect image of yourself that you have clung to so tenaciously, an image of your mother."

"THAT'S-!" Martha started to declare, then hesitated before speaking again at a lower level, "That's ridiculous...I'm not trying to be like my mother!"

"Oh no?" Lao asked shrewdly, "Denial is a vice more terrible than any sin, often mistaken for temperance rather than willful self-avoidance. Far too many fools praise it as a virtue...and yet now you are in a position to see the truth that lays hidden beneath this contradiction."

"Are you saying that I ENJOYED what you just did to me?" Martha asked.

"I am not saying anything," Lao replied, "You tell me. You are the only real expert when it comes to understanding the real you. What I say is just an observation...what you tell me has greater value, coming from the source of your emotions."

Martha remained skeptical, but she chewed her lower lip for a moment before pouting, "I don't believe this...I'm not a masochist! I don't harbor hidden desires to be captured and dominated..."

"Are you so certain of this?" Lao asked, "Because I was given to the impression that most heroines in your line of work are closet masochists. The Gods know that you put up with enough abuse on the sidelines, undervalued by your male compatriots, put down with crude jokes, viewed more for your sex appeal than the valuable contributions that you make to the system..."

"That's..." Martha hesitated then said, "Um...a very good point, but still..."

"But still you cling to an outmoded ideal of how women are supposed to behave, even though that ideal has caused you no end of mischief," Lao shook her head sadly, "And yet, deep in your heart, is there not some part of you that is wanting to break out and explore the possibilities that lay hidden in your not-  
so-politically correct subconscious? Mind you, I am not a psychologist, but I have my own theories about why women in your profession put up with as much as you do in both halves of your identity, the Power Woman and the mere mortal...the one is forever making allowances for the other, and vice versa, but deep down you want to reconcile them both into one coherent being...a Power Woman who is-first and foremost-a woman."

"Meaning...what?" Martha asked, "That deep down some part of me actually wants to submit to you? Is that what you are saying?

"I leave that up to you to decide," Lao replied, "You are an intelligent enough woman that you ought to be able to deal with almost any situation you encounter, and yet you let yourself get captured by your enemies on occasion and often wind up being subjected to the tender mercies, and yet-strangely enough-those particular enemies never get around to actually killing you when they have the advantage. To me it seems more like a game you play with these more habitual enemies that you have built up a relationship with over the years, but...that could just be my impression."

Martha was silent for a long minute, but then she grudgingly said, "Well...maybe once or twice I have gotten a little bit...careless..."

"Try at least a dozen times, going by your memories, not counting this time, of course," Lao corrected, "You get careless, you drop your guard, and some villain gets in a lucky break. Somehow they fall just short of outright killing you, though, giving you enough of a chance to recover and escape from their clutches or their latest death trap. In this manner you are flirting with danger and possible death in the ultimate thrill ride, which actually excites you more than you let on and makes you feel more alive, causing the pulse to quicken and your sense of self-awareness to sharpen..."

"You make it sound like some cheap bondage romance novel," Martha frowned.

"Sometimes cliches do have a legitimate basis in reality," Lao replied, then pointed at the food upon the table, "By the way, feel free to indulge. There are neither chemicals nor artificial additives in what I have served to you now. I have no need to further to drug you, and I'm certainly not about to poison you in any way, not while we are coming to know so much about one another and-in a manner of speaking-bonding."

Martha frowned, "Is that what we're doing, or what you're trying to do? Turn me into the heroine for YOUR bondage romance story?"

"If you like," Lao conceded, "It is what I do for a living, after all...and you are presently my guest, however you might protest."

"Well...I'm not saying that I trust you," Martha reluctantly eyed the dishes on the table and at long last reached out and picked up a pair of chopsticks, then began to sample the grilled fish that was before her, "But you do talk up a good argument, and I guess I don't have much choice..."

"There is always a choice," Lao replied as she picked up her own chopsticks and began doing likewise, "It's what makes this game so interesting. Human Free Will comes in many different varieties, and yet we all make the best compromise that we know how to make in life when we choose to act the way we do. Our choices are limited by the circumstances that fate provides to us, and the most any of us can say is that we acted in the manner most consistent with our beliefs and desires. Do try the sauce, by the way, it gives the fish a certain extra flavor."

Martha reluctantly agreed as she spent the next several minutes just stuffing her face, discovering a raging appetite and craving for food that was almost unknown to her, having come so much to rely on a lifelong ability to go for days without eating. Fortunately the chopsticks proved long enough to reach her mouth despite her restricted hand movement, and the drink cups were provided with straws. Everything she tried was harvested from the sea (except for the fruits and vegetables, of course) and all of it was quite good to the taste. True to Lao's word she detected no trace chemicals nor elements that she could not identify, her senses retaining at least that much of their edge that-for her-  
-there was no such thing as an "odorless and tasteless" potion.

When at last she felt some of the edge leaving her stomach, Martha slowed down and washed a mouth full of rice down with green tea, then paused and to say, "What you were saying before about Free Will...what has that to do with you and your outfit?"

"It's quite simple really," Lao answered, having paused to drink some of her own cup of ginseng, "Free Will is the ability to make choices given to all of us at birth...a bit of a joke, that, since very few of us come with an in-built instruction manual that tells us how to use it. Most often people live their simple lives of quiet desperation without ever really knowing that they have a choice. Most people tend to believe that they are the victims of larger impersonal forces that shape and guide their every step, and few ever get the chance to truly understand what their real choices are until they make a decision at some critical point in their existence."

"Such as?" Martha asked.

"Whether to turn left instead of right," Lao explained, "To go up instead of down, or to take a stand defiantly in opposition to an oppressor, or whether to back down in the face of superior might and a dominant position. As this relates to my job, it is the choice a woman makes to either submit or stand and take what punishment she is dealt out in order to...persuade her to cooperate. If a girl in my employ agrees to do my bidding, then she is rewarded accordingly, but...if she says 'NO,' and truly means it..."

"Then you'll force her to submit anyway?" Martha concluded.

"No," Lao replied, waving her chopsticks, "You see...I also have a choice to make when this happens, whether to force an unwilling and recalcitrant girl to alter her own nature so that she will eventually learn to accommodate my desires...or to give that girl up for a lost cause and thus to let her go. In my line of work I have to make this sort of choice nearly every day, and yet once I have determined if a girl is worth the effort, and if she'll eventually agree to see things my way, well and good, but if she doesn't..."

"You'll let them go?" Martha blurted out in disbelief.

"Oh yes," Lao replied, "I'll drop them off at the first port I find, give them a little spending money, blank out of their mind any incriminating memories, then leave them to their own devices. It's harsh, I know, but given the chance to begin their lives all over, these women often not only survive but they even prosper."

"Now I find that flat-out unbelievable," Martha shook her head, "Why would you go to any trouble helping out a girl who defies you? Slavers like you are more likely to kill them and dump them over the rail..."

"THAT is one level of evil to which I will NEVER allow myself to succumb," Lao insisted flatly, "I seek to enjoy life, not destroy it. I am a predator and an opportunist, I target the ones who have it within them to become slaves who willingly submit their bodies to the lusts of any man-or woman-who would wish to pay a price to own them. Granted that can seem brutal and even cruel at times, but I will only go so far as to capture and condition a girl, not throw her away when she can serve no other usage."

"A slaver with principles?" Martha asked with a flaring of her nostrils, "Now I've heard of everything..."

"Believe what you will," Lao shrugged, "I make no apologies for what I am and what I do to put food on my table. Of course, being a classical Villainess, I don't have any real need to justify why I do what I do, or why it is that I often refrain from taking the lives of my enemies...unless they do something that necessarily provokes me."

"Like the late Captain Helgar?" "Exactly," Lao nodded, "It may surprise you to hear this, but I really don't like killing...it seems so...messy...and not very professional at that. I'll kill an enemy when he presents himself as a legitimate danger, but not if there is another way. Oh, I will kill other predators of the sea when I suspect that they have been especially naughty, but I consider that more of a community service. I have my limits when it comes to ruthless behavior...I don't see the point in being totally merciless, it just earns you bad Joss and is lousy for the Karma, and besides which, over time no one feels as though they can trust you."

"And are you to be trusted?"

"To a point," Lao replied, "A woman ought to know her limits and respect them. I am not so ambitious that I wish to tempt the fates by callously discarding people who serve me well, and I deal well those who do not betray me. I give my word, I seek to keep it..."

"But you still hedge your bets and finagle your way around the finer points, right?"

"Exactly," Lao nodded, "As a businesswoman, you doubtlessly can appreciate such hair splitting and micro-negotiation for what it is...a compromise between two or more competing values. I know for a fact that you have often strayed into very gray areas and shaved a few points of the truth on occasion when you felt the circumstances justified such behavior."

"Are you comparing yourself to me?" Martha asked, "Because I'm having trouble equating what you do for a living with a legitimate business. You sell people into slavery!"

"Yes," Lao replied, "I turn women into slaves, and I suppose by your lights that this must make me evil."

"You think what you do is a good thing?" Martha countered.

"That depends on what you mean by good," Lao leaned back and regarded Martha frankly, "You may find this impossible to accept, but my business is every bit as legitimate in its way as is yours. I am fulfilling a service...a service people pay money for, a service that is as old as time, nearly as old as the race. I am not saying that it is a virtue to peddle human flesh, only that-  
for some people-it is as legitimate a lifestyle as working for a minimum wage job."

"I don't see the connection at all," Martha said flatly.

"That is because you have never lived on the low end of the economic scale," Martha replied, "The poor have, by definition, always lived their lives on the fringes of civilized society. They live on the droppings that filter down to them from the upper crust windows...your 'Trickle Down' economy, if you will allow me a political observation. The poor are often hobbled by the limits of what they can achieve because of their poverty. They struggle long and hard just to eke out a bare subsistence living...and even in America you have homeless people and those who pick through garbage just to feed themselves. There are few social services that can give them a leg up in the world...only a bare minimum of a social safety net that they can fall back upon when they reach a literal crisis. To me that is worse than slavery, that is social degradation!"

"So what are you, Carl Marx?" Martha asked her.

"A fool whose conceit polluted the fledgling science of Socio-economics," Lao said dismissively, "Trust a German materialist to try and substitute God with impersonal economic forces. The truth is that Communism is nothing but a myth and was never a serious political philosophy. Socialism is just a word that broadly describes Government by fiat set along a more-or-less Feudal structure. Just about anything that a government does that has an effect on the private sector could technically be called Socialism. It's just a slam word meant to derail rational thinking and avoid the responsibility that the rich and the powerful might otherwise feel for those less well off than themselves."

"Are you calling me a Capitalist pig?" Martha flared.

"Not as such," Lao replied, "You are the granddaughter of dirt-poor farmers and your father worked in a minimum wage job back when a few cents went a long way. You began at a somewhat higher level and have become a major media mogul in your own right through hard work and effort. No one can deny your accomplishments, which have been earned by your own means, but...at the same time, for all the good that you do, there is still the basic point that you exploit the world's recourses, often at the hands of the occupants of these third-world countries with which your companies do much of their business."

"That's not true!" Martha protested, "I've divested myself of such holdings-  
often at my own expense-whenever I find some irregularity that can't be explained to my satisfaction. Don't forget that I inherited Edge Industries from its original owner, a real creep who turned out to be working for the dictator of Apokolypse..."

"In effect an enemy of your father?" Lao asked.

"True," Martha replied, "But at the time I didn't know that...I thought of him as my 'Uncle Morgan.' Then Dad found out the truth and...well...became managing editor in his place. Around the time Dad was about sixty years old and had to resort to make-up and a disguise in order to appear much older than he actually was. You know, even today he doesn't look a day over thirty?"

"Indeed," Lao nodded, "Must be wonderful to have such good genetics. Of course when he reached retirement age he then asked you to take over."

"Yeah," Martha said, "It was about the time when he remarried and moved to Japan...he knew that I was a business major, so he asked me to take over the franchise, to keep it out of the wrong hands, that sort of thing. After all, Edge Industries was even then a fairly large conglomerate...I've just built it up from there and turned it into a multi-media empire."

"And combined it with Star Labs Inc," Lao smiled encouragingly, "Which is the public face of Prometheus Industries, which does a lot of government contract work for the pentagon and NASA, correct?"

"You know it is," Martha sniffed, "In all total, I command about twenty-seven billion dollars in assets and earn a salary of around one-hundred-fifty million a year..."

"In US Dollars, of course," Lao said sagely, "A quite impressive record...however...you also own shares in various other businesses, including a company called Global Trade, which is actually a front for the American CIA. Then there is Jumanji Incorporated, a Central West African Firm that distributes medicine to AIDS afflicted countries, and the Honogato Corporation, which manufactures tires and various other rubber products."

Martha arched an eyebrow, "You've been looking through my portfolio?"

"In my line of work, it pays to know whom I am dealing with," Lao replied, "I bring these examples up to mind because I happen to know a little something about those companies. Jumanji is suspected of dumping surplus and expired medicines on third world countries while hoarding the best to be sold on the black market..."

"Say what?" Martha blinked.

"Honogato's tires were recently recalled on several mainline product lines because they used inferior retreading, which is believed to have led to a series of accidents in several countries, including America, that have resulted in the deaths of over two hundred people."

"I...I didn't know," Martha said with rounded eyes.

"They also run several sweat shops in both Vietnam and Korea," Lao's smile became more rueful, "I know because one of the women who currently lives in my harem used to be a virtual slave in one such sweat shop before my people found and...liberated her...while she and others were being shipped out to a new market outlet. You see...slavery takes on many forms, some more brutal and degrading than others, and I am far from the worst of the breed. As for Global Trade...well...do I really need to detail what sort of mischief the CIA gets into while insinuating its presence in foreign countries?"

"Are you saying that I'm indirectly responsible for these people being hurt?" Martha said archly.

"I'm not saying anything of the sort," Lao replied, "It is just that you have a lot of businesses to keep track of, and even the best micro-manager is bound to make mistakes and miss out on little details, such as people. I am merely suggesting that it is sometimes best to look at the larger picture and not try to see the world in absolute terms of black and white. Things are never that simple, and even the best of us is prone to making serious errors."

Martha was silent for several seconds, but then she said, "Obviously...I wasn't careful enough with my trading..."

"No," Lao replied, "But then that would hardly put you in the same category as myself. I do knowingly what you only do by ignorance. I take great pride in my work and I don't deny being good at it. If slavery must be viewed as a crime, then I am guilty beyond question...but...I am not so evil as to be unmoved by human tragedy. I encounter quite a lot of it in my profession, and part of what keeps me even halfway sane is knowing that there are others far worse than me who still walk freely upon this planet."

"But how can you live with yourself knowing that you trade in human flesh?" Martha wondered.

"A fair question," Lao conceded, "I did not start out in life wanting to be a slaver. I was a warrior with a mind to one day be a great healer. I studied under the tribal matriarch of my people, and I was accounted the best of my generation. Then I made a mistake...I fell in love with a man who was not worthy of my attention...I paid for that dearly with betrayal and exile...and by strange turns wound up here on this ship with my two closest friends and fellow exiles, where we were enslaved by this ship's previous owner."

"You were a slave?" Martha arched an eyebrow.

"Indeed," Lao replied, lifting up her wine cup, "And before you ask, I didn't like it. I found out things about myself that I never would have suspected...that I had limits, that I could be made to submit to the will of a man, that I was not so independent minded as I had believed, and that I needed the community of fellow women in order to heal myself. That is why, when I took over this vessel, I took on the responsibilities of creating my own tribe, my own community, replacing the former crew with my fellow slaves and taking on new slaves by preying upon other pirates. Gradually by turns I sort-of fell into this business...mainly because of the ship and what it does to those who live aboard her. This vessel is very ancient, and yet it reflects the mind and personality of its owner...and as such it is a reflection of me. I know every square centimeter...it is alive to me, I can feel the ship breathing and sense its ancient wisdom, brooding and strange. I gave this ship a new purpose, turned it away from what it had been before I came here, and now it is my home in every important sense of the word. If I were gone, though, the ship would revert to a new owner, and that worthy would become its new Mistress..."

"Have you never tried to free yourself from it?" Martha asked, "Magic this old and strange..."

"Alas, the POJ is all but indestructible," Lao replied, "It repairs itself when damaged, and it is accursed with so many protective spells and charms that to release all of them at once might cause the magical equivalent of an atomic explosion. And besides that...there is the Kraken."

"I see," Martha replied, "So...what happens if you get separated from your ship?"

"Oh, I can go ashore for a limited amount of time, but the longer I am away, the more the POJ chafes and grows moody. Without a Master this ship would become a terror of the high seas, a literal ghost ship, with the Kraken on the rampage. It's been known to happen before...and it isn't very pretty. Kill the owner of this ship and you become the new owner...it can only be passed down through death or the voluntary acceptance of another. The former captain tricked me into accepting this ship as the stakes of a card game...talk about booby prizes!" she sniffed.

"So...how many people actually live here?" Martha hesitantly asked.

"Standard crew compliment is around two hundred and fifty," Lao replied, "Both non-combatants and mercenaries who are in my employ, plus my harem and the children born to that harem..."

"Harem?" Martha blinked, "You run a harem?"

"With over a score of full-time Concubines who service my every need," Lao replied with a sensuous purr, "Thinking about applying for membership?"

"Hah?" Martha exclaimed, then frowned, "Not bloody likely..."

For some reason Lao found that response tremendously amusing, but rather than explain why she merely resumed in her narrative, "And then there are my Undine servants, whom you have already met, after a fashion. Elemental beings who contain the souls of those female passengers and slaves who have died aboard the POJ over the centuries of its existence..."

"Say what?" Martha blurted, "Those are undead?"

"Not undead," Lao shook her head negatively, "But close enough. Normal elementals lack souls, but these souls were trapped up by the POJ and denied their release to another plane of existence. They came back reborn as my immortal servants, living ghosts who do my every bidding, just as there are rowers down below decks who are the trapped souls of the men who once lived here. I have no ardent desire to join their numbers anytime soon, which is why I don't plan on either dying or retiring in the near future. That is why I acted as I did to prevent you from trying to disrupt the functions of my business. You are powerful enough that you could-at least temporarily-  
destroy my ship and incarcerate my crew, in which case you would release a far greater menace upon the world than you could even imagine."

"So you've chained me to keep me from becoming a problem," Martha rattled her chains for emphasis, "So...how long do you plan on keeping me like this? Forever?"

"Hardly," Lao stood up, "A week at most...beyond that...it might get complicated."

"A WEEK?" Martha again blurted.

"After which I will release you," Lao replied, slowly circling around the long table and approaching at a leisurely saunter, "Unharmed and without restraint. You will be free to go about your affairs and do whatever you believe is necessary. I will place no limits upon you nor try to affect your judgement in any way...other than to convince you that bringing me to justice is not a very good option."

"Convince me of that?" Martha asked while warily tracking Lao's movements, "How?"

"Why, by charming and seducing you, of course," Lao smiled as she came to tower over Martha, looking down at her with a frankly admiring gaze, "I have been thinking about it since you first set foot on this vessel, just as you are thinking right now about the ways in which I might please you. I can see it in your eyes...I fascinate you even as you are repelled at the thing which I represent."

"Don't flatter yourself," Martha replied, even though she could feel her pulse quicken and a slight flush betrayed her cheeks.

"On the contrary," Lao said, "It is you whom I would flatter...such an excellent woman you are, perfect in every detail, and beautiful by any standards...has it truly been so long since you were with a lover? You have hardly even thought of your beloved Helena the whole time that we have been having this conversation..."

"Ah...um..." Martha fidgeted in her chair, squirming uncomfortably under the scrutiny of the sea-moss haired captain, only to blink her eyes in surprise as Lao reached down to cup her chin and caress her cheek.

"How could any man look upon you and not love you for what you are?" Lao wondered, "You are loneliness personified, and yet you should be worshipped as a Princess. Such fine cheekbones, such an excellent jawline, and your eyes, so large and luminous, even without your powers you are a fine, rare beauty."

Martha shivered slightly, though it was hardly chill within the warm cabin. An unexpected tremor went down her spine and back up again, causing her cheeks to grow flush and rosy. Of course this also meant that other parts of her anatomy were similarly stimulated, including the by-now quite painful sensations from her clip-bound nipples, which was why she glanced down and said, "Uh...would it be too much trouble to ask if you would remove these things? They're...not very comfortable..."

"That is the idea," Lao replied, "But if you wish me to take them off, then stand up and present yourself."

"Huh?" Martha asked, then dutifully pushed herself up out of her wooden chair, standing virtually naked before the six foot tall Amazon who was her current captor, even as said Amazon looked her up and down in an appraising manner.

"Yes...indeed...perfect in every detail," Lao slowly circled around behind Martha and then reached around from the back, cupping the large breasts of the demi-Kryptonian and fondling them with open admiration, "Now...just relax and leave everything to me. This may hurt a bit, but less so than when I put them on you in the first place."

Martha gasped as she felt herself being drawn into Lao's embrace, feeling the press of the pirate's large breasts against her shoulderblades even as the slaver's fingers reached for one of the two clamps and very casually removed it. Feeling flooded into that nipple, causing Martha to gasp once again at the sense of prickling needles, then the other clamp was removed from her right nipple, and all at once Lao's hands were molding and shaping her flesh, toying with both nipples, which promptly hardened into a double erection.

"Now then," Lao said as she played with those generous globes of semi-firm flesh, "Doesn't that feel nice? So much better than before...better even than chocolate..."

"Oh...yes..." Martha sighed, leaning back against Lao as if momentarily forgetting her aloof act.

"Things really won't be so fad for you while you are staying with me," Lao murmured into her ear, "You will find that I can be...very entertaining..."

Martha almost started back to full awareness of what was happening, but as she did not appear to be in any immediate danger, she was at a loss of what to do to take back charge of the situation...assuming that she was ever in control of it in the first place. Instead she stood there indecisive while her body continued to send approving signals to her loins, which were tingling far worse than when she had exited the Kraken as if missing a certain...presence.

"You...really mean to let me leave?" Martha asked after a long moment of allowing the pirate queen to have her way with her body.

"At the end of a week, yes," Lao replied, "After all, I could hardly hold onto you for longer than that. You would be missed at your business, and you have family who might come looking for you, and who might cause me no end of trouble, For one thing, I would not wish to get on the bad side of your father and step-  
mother, plus you have a younger sister to whom I promised that you would come to no harm and be well treated."

"And...this is your idea of good treatment, huh?" Martha meant to sound scornful, but all she wound up doing was making it appear as though she were actually interested in taking Lao up on her offer.

"Oh yes," Lao said, "The best," and with that she knelt down and without warning scooped Martha into her arms, this time prepared to support the weight of the woman with the densely-packed molecular structure. Martha yelped a bit, but with her restraints could not offer even a token display of resistance as she was literally swept off her feet and carried by Lao to another portion of the chamber.

A second later she found herself laying on her back atop of a down-cushioned bed with the pale blue-haired lady slaver poised directly above her. Martha watched with round, fascinated eyes as Lao stretched a hand down and began to play with Martha's pussy, which caused her to gasp and roll her eyes back in her head as an astonishing wave of pleasure swarmed up from within her.

"Ah yes," Lao said after a few moments of probing Martha's snatch, pulling away to show how her fingers were glistening with a faintly sticky substance, "You are definitely aroused...come...have a sample of your own juices."

Martha wanted to turn her head away, to refuse the offer in a momentary burst of squeamishness, but...then a familiar sense greeted her finely tuned nostrils, and almost reflexively-when those fingers brushed her lips-she relented to opening her mouth so that she could taste her own juices upon the tips of those fingers.

Like an old, familiar taste that she once loved so much, the flavor of her own snatch caused her mind to go back over twenty years to when it was Helena who was making such an offer, trying then to find out if she could encourage a reluctant Martha to try a same-sex encounter, back during their experimental period when they both were so naïve and curious as to all of life's potentials.

"Ah, you like it, eh?" Lao purred with open approval, "Well then...you really should go wild about this."

And with that she went down on the demi-Kryptonian girl, Martha helpless to do anything but gasp, arch her back and shudder slightly as she pushed against the bed with her feet. This had the effect of encouraging Lao further as the pirate got down to business and started employing her tongue for some serious cunnilingus. For the next several hours the two of them would explore new ways of defining "Guest Service" as Martha more and more yielded herself to her amorous captor. The part of her mind that would normally have protested this kind of treatment decided to take a hike and leave the rest of her to the business of getting down and dirty with a self-admitted Supervillain.

It was, indeed, the stuff of cheap melodrama and many an underground erotic comic, but if anyone were to accuse Martha of surrendering too easily, she would have decked them on the spot, for Lao's tongue was quite accomplished at this sort of thing, and the Kryptonian herself was growing parched for the taste of the slaver's own juices, so she decided then and there to stop worrying and allow nature to run its course. Afterwards she would rational and serious again, but for now...it was just too much fun to let everything go and exult in being... A WOMAN...!

"...The Fantastic Four?"

"Probably off in Latveria somewhere playing checkers with Doctor Doom."

"The Defenders?"

"I won't even dignify that one with an answer."

"The Doom Patrol?"

"Same difference."

"What about Doctor Fate?"

"Last I heard she was still living in the Styx," Alison shrugged, "Same with the old Justice Society...only most of their members are either retired or in a rest home. Heck, why don't you ask about the Inferior Five while you're at it?"

"Well then," Beatrice sighed, "That just narrows the list down to your niece and cousin. I can't think of any more possible suggestions for seeking outside help. Barring this, we will have to come up with a plan of our own, some means by which we can find the Lao and her ship fairly quickly."

"I don't mean to be such a downer, Beiko," Alison replied, "But the Superhero community just isn't what it was like in Dad's time. Back then you just had to roll down a window and holler for help, these days you have to call ahead for an appointment."

"Ah," Beatrice sighed, "The perils of modern corporate thinking..."

"So...what are we gonna do?" Akane asked as she munched on some of the candy provided by Kasumi, "Sis and the others are depending on us..."

"It does not appear as though there is much that we can do," Kodachi replied, "We lack the means of getting out there to the open seas, and-as we discussed before-none of us is in any shape to tackle a challenge as formidable as the Mistress."

"Yeah," Alison glared at Beatrice while feeling her abdomen, "We know."

"Ah..." Beatrice had the good graces to look embarrassed.

"Oh well," Kodachi shrugged, "It's like Kei-chan and I were saying all along, we really are better off just sitting back and trusting the Mistress...is something wrong, Akane-chan? You seem upset about something..."

"I just have this...funny feeling, like I've forgotten something really significant," Akane frowned, "I just wish I could remember what it was..."

"I'm sure if it's important it will come back to you eventually," Beatrice reassured her, "Now then...seeing as we do have a rather limited set of options, and while we are waiting for your sister to finish busying herself within our kitchen, perhaps we ought to consider the cautious approach of waiting to hear back from Madam Lao. She has agreed to call us at regular intervals to give us a progress report."

"The heck with waiting," Alison growled, "That's my sister she's taken captive, and I don't care what lame justification she has for doing it either, I want my sister back. There's no way that I'm going to be able to look Dad in the eye and explain that I didn't lift a finger while Martha suffered who knows what kinds of degradation..."

"Oh, Akane-chan!" Kasumi pleasantly called out from the aforementioned apartment kitchen, "Is Ryoga-kun going to be staying to share breakfast?"

"Ryoga?" Akane repeated, then her eyes got very round and she said, "WHOOPS! Now I remember!"

She got to her feet and headed immediately for the bedroom, whereupon she opened the door and said, "Ryoga..."

"GET ME OFF OF HERE!" the eternally Lost Boy cried out from where he still remained tied down spread-eagled on the bed, exactly as he had been when she and Kodachi had left him there in the near hour that had passed since Kasumi's arrival.

"Sorry, sorry," Akane hastily moved into the room, stepping gingerly over a bound Keiko and Ryonami, who were still tied up in the same sixty-nine position as before, each girl lapping up the other's juices as if not even realizing that any time had elapsed while they were at it.

"I might as well help her," Kodachi sighed as she, too, stood up, "It is my responsibility for tying them up in the first place, and I doubt Akane-chan will even know how to retie them."

"Yeah, you do that," Alison sniffed, turning back to Beatrice and saying, "You can think of something better than just waiting, can't you, Genius?"

"Not altogether," Beatrice replied, "If I still had the resources of Daitokuji Industries backing me, this would be childsplay. I could whip something up in a jiffy...but with the limited parts we have in supply right here in this small apartment..."

"Yeah, your Dad screwed us both royal," Alison agreed, "Tight-fisted, money-  
wadded patent thief..."

"What we would need is some means of transportation that could go long-  
range...several thousand kilometers round-trip at the least, and that could approach the vessel with stealth and not be seen. It would have to be capable of vertical take off and landings as I doubt we could get airport clearance, and to set down in the middle of the ocean is a tricky enough affair and...why are you looking at me like that, Aiko-chan?"

Alison's expression was faintly dumbfounded as she seemed to be putting two and two together, then she impulsively reached out to grasp her partner's face and haul her in for a kiss of great passion.

"That's it!" she exclaimed, "I should have thought of this before! I know where we can get some transportation!"

"You do?" Beatrice asked, "But where?"

"My folks have this place...it's kind of a secret, but I think I still remember the access codes," the pregnant, redheaded dynamo replied, "Mom might even forgive us if we borrow it for a while...she hardly ever uses it these days, except in emergencies, and I definitely think this counts as an emergency."

"Indeed?" Beatrice smiled, "Then what are we waiting for? Let's get going."

"Hold up a minute," Alison sighed, "I'm gonna make a call...Joan might as well be part of this, after all, it's her mother we're trying to save...and things couldn't get any worse with her on the team, right?"

Beatrice did not immediately answer, but she wondered about that odd rumbling in the sky, and whether that meant that they should put on a raincoat...

Continued.

Comments/Criticisms/Carrying On the Tradition: shadowmane

Whew...took me a couple of days to work this one up, hope you guys enjoyed it. Things WILL get a *bit* more intense next time (and yeah, I'll fill in more of the graphic stuff for those who hate me skipping over the juicy bits) as Ranma decides to seek out Nabiki and finds himself in real trouble, Nabiki gets serviced, Martha has an orgasm and we find out who Joan is...oh, and Alison hot-  
wires an invisible plane. All that and more bondage with Kodachi, while Kasumi packs a lunch! Be here for: "Hanging Around for the Holidays," or "Rad, Bad and Mad!" Be seeing you!

Jim R. Bader 11/26/00

X

If you wish to check out my other works, Please check out my Fanfiction webpage at: . All related chapters of this series can be found there along with my other works.  
/pre 


	9. Chapter 9

preDNabikiTHC9

Nabiki 1/2

"A Very Scary Thought!"

THE HONEYMOON HENTAI CHAPTERS!

By Jim Robert Bader

(Inspired by the works of Rumiko Takahashi Others,  
including author-creators like Bill Black, and what he doesn't know about what I'm doing with his characters won't hurt me, so...mum's the word, all right?)

HENTAI ALERT-YOU ARE ENTERING THE LEMON-LIME ZONE WHERE COMMUNITY STANDARDS OF GOOD TASTE TO NOT APPLY!  
IF YOU HAVE FILTERS, NOW IS THE TIME TO USE THEM, UNLESS YOU LIKE STORIES THAT INVOLVE GRATUITOUS SEX BETWEEN (SEMI-)CONSENTING ADULTS (WELL, AGES 17 AND ABOVE AT LEAST)  
THAT INVOLVE INCIDENTS OF BONDAGE, RESTRAINT, ORAL AND ANAL SEX, BISEXUALITY, SADO-MASOCHISM, INCEST, VAMPIRISM AND GENERAL NAUGHTINESS. DON'T TRY THIS AT HOME, BOYS AND GIRLS, YOU MIGHT GET YOURSELVES ARRESTED...  
YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED!

"Brought to you by SPAM! The gift that keeps on giving!"

Ranma stirred himself from an exhaustive rest, feeling literally like he had been plowed into the earth like a proverbial tilling implement. His body felt both sore and yet wonderful at one and the same time, and he had such pleasant dreams from which to awake, of having his every carnal fantasy being fulfilled by four very nubile and excellently limber young ladies...a dream that he knew to be a reality, just as he knew that he had been engaged in near-continuous sex for the better part of twenty four-plus hours.

Of course he was limp as a roll of tissue paper left to soak in the rain, but it was a good kind of spent energy, and the rest had helped restore him somewhat, so that he was able to awake with a clarity of thought that was most unusual for even him. He felt as though he were truly awake for the first time in his life, genuinely awake to new and infinite possibilities beyond the ken of mortal men. It was strange and wonderful to be this much aware of his surroundings, even given that he was ensconced within a cabin in a wooden vessel that had been plying these oceans for long centuries, awash in ancient spells and magics that made the very air hum with life, or-rather-a life that was as much between one world and another.

He knew the story that Lao had told to Nabiki, knew that the ship had been created by some Chinese wizard in an exercise of ego and madness, and yet now he could actually see the energy streams and patterns of force that were flowing all around them. It almost felt as if he could reach out and touch those patterns, meld with them and reshape them in accordance of his will. Just what exactly he would do with such power if it were at his disposal...

A slight stirring at his side called him back to full awareness of the present, and with that awareness he became conscious of the beautiful girl laying at his side, sleeping like the proverbial infant, though to look on her she hardly seemed anything less than a mature and beautiful woman. Considering that-not too long ago-he had been barely able to stand to be in the same room with the brown haired Enforcer, it was remarkable how close the two of them had become of late, so much so that Perfume had even given up her self-professed disdain of men and embraced heterosexual sex with a vengeance...or perhaps he was just flattering himself to believe that he had become her sole singular exception in regards to men and what they had to offer.

Whatever the case, he was grateful for being that exception to a rule that he had never even thought to cross within their marital circle. ESPECIALLY considering the "Hands off, Buster" vibes that she had been sending him from the first day that they had encountered one another, the very day when she had become Ukyo's Airen and co-marital partner. Looking on her now she did not seem quite so formidable and intimidating, and-if one did not know her personally-  
-you could almost call her innocent and kawaii looking. She certainly was kawaii in his estimation...and he even call her beautiful. And stacked...that was the thing that most stood out about her, how well endowed she was for a seventeen year old warrior trained to wield a pair of heavy axes as though they were as light as her tonfas.

How much strength was possessed in her slender body he could well attest, especially considering that said strength had been applied to him in her effort to screw his brains out...and with the same single-minded determination that she applied to nearly everything else that she valued. Now that she had finally exhausted herself and had succumbed to the need for rest, he could take the time to examine her critically from a close, hands-on advantage he could appreciate her full beauty-and-having explored every inch of her during sex, take the time to truly appreciate her as a woman.

Or-more specifically-as his wife.

Ranma smiled as he remembered the way she had made love to him only a few hours back...truly and completely made love to him as only one with hypersensitive touch and control could perform, with excellence and refinement. Just thinking of those smooth legs wrapped around him, those perfect hips poised with her loins receiving his manly thrusts, pulses racing as he hammered away at her, hearing the noise she made as she encouraged him to ride her ever onward to a mutually satisfying series of orgasms. Those pendulous breasts had been magnificent to the touch as he had molded and fondled her to heighten her sense of arousal. Stroking nerves and paying careful attention to her reactions, he would measure his technique and further refine it while applying the Kamasenken to excite and further arouse Perfume until she was putty in his arms, free and willing to allow anything that he might try upon her person, and altogether encouraging him onward...

Just thinking about it now brought a "woody" to his crotch, and his limp manhood sprang to live with the idea of plunging himself once more into the moist, velvety crotch that he had explored so well and with such energy that it left him in no doubt that he was welcome to visit there any time of his choosing. Perfume had made it very plain that she was a willing participant in their games of mutual exploration, a full partner in the creation of the Kamasenken, having learned how to give as good as she received and having no complaint from him as to the extent of her own prowess. He marked her as every inch a woman, and valued her no less than he did Ukyo, Shampoo, or even...Nabiki.

His eyes tracked down the supple, graceful curves of her legs as he longed to rove his tongue over each and every surface square centimeter, from her beautifully well-shaped feet (which he had licked and suckled for the better part of half an hour) to the tasty honey-pot that was her loins and the full, ripe fruit of her breasts, she was infinitely desirable to him, and very much a woman whom he wanted to have fun with...as much fun as he could have, having to share his time with her around Nabiki and the others. Laying beside her, feeling the heat she radiated by her presence, it was all he could do to hold back from disturbing her rest just so he could enjoy a little more of her "Nookie."

But he was much more awake now, and as such he was beginning to wonder where Nabiki and the others had gone off to on their own. Perfume had so distracted and absorbed his attention that he had forgotten about all else and had not taken the time to question their absence. Somehow he could not bring himself to think that they had all wandered off and left them behind, which meant that they were probably near by...or at least the two who had babies to care for would not have gone far by themselves, so...where were Ukyo and Shampoo...or Nabiki for that matter?

In answer to this mental question, he heard a noise coming from close nearby and thought he recognized it as belonging to Ukyo. To investigate Ranma slipped out of the bed, leaving Perfume to sleep a little longer while he crept to the doorway and pushed past the silken curtain...and found at least two of his missing ladies, and why they had been momentarily absent.

Shampoo was laying on her back on some kind of bench near to the doorway, and Ukyo was straddling over her with something long and glistening projecting from her legs. Shampoo was groaning, panting and gasping while Ukyo hammered away using a double-dong that linked the two of them together at groin level. Ukyo was making noises that sounded pretty aggressive, and it was obvious that she was enjoying the act of "riding" the Amazon, who had her legs waving up in the air with toes curled and feet waving like a "V for Victory" sign while Shampoo arched her back and cried out aloud as though she were being repeatedly stabbed in a very sensitive place. Clearly the Amazon was taking it in while groaning in excitement, gasping and crying out with ever-increasing tempo as Ukyo redoubled her effort, working extra hard to bring the purple haired girl off as though it were a matter of pride, to say nothing of pure lustful desire!

Her efforts paid off as Shampoo gave a cry of abandon and surrendered herself to the bliss of her latest orgasm, bucking her hips even as Ukyo refused to slack off in her efforts. The Chef's face was suffused with sweat as she relentlessly pointed her end of the fake "cock" in and out of Shampoo's very moist love-hole, and clearly both girls were having a real time of it, so much so that he almost considered getting jealous, but then relaxed and enjoyed the show as his wives continued humping one another with no thoughts of letting a man have all the fun and take all the credit, while a number of Lao's "kept" women looked on and smiled, enjoying the show and even offering encouraging side-commentary...

At least for now he could indulge them that luxury, but before too long he fully intended to remind his two girls of the fact that they did indeed have a husband, and that he very much wanted to prove that fact with them both through a live "hand-on" demonstration!

"Lord Ranma," a voice startled him as he turned to see one of the unearthly blue-skinned attendants.

"What do you want?" he asked, though in a not unfriendly manner.

"My lady wishes for us to attend your needs," the elemental explained, "My sisters and fellow concubines are caring for the babies while your ladies relieve themselves of stress. If you have any needs, for food or relief, you have but to ask and it will be granted you. Or...if you wish to partake of the services of any woman of this Harem, you have our lady's permission."

"Partake of...?" Ranma blanched, "But...I'm already married!"

"Oh, we would not wish to neglect any of your wives," the Undine explained, "They can indulge themselves as they will. We live by an open policy here of doing whatever feels right and good, and there are no artificial barriers between us. Slave, concubine, crewmate, guest, Undine, all are free to mingle so long as it has been approved by the Mistress."

"Ah...yeah..." Ranma winced, "But I don't think it's been approved by MY Mistress...I mean, my wife! Er...where is Nabiki?"

"Ah...your other wife has been...regretfully detained for a time by the Mistress," the Undine explained, "We are running tests to determine the viability of her condition...it was told to you before that she may be with child, was it not?"

"Uh..." Ranma had a flash back to his last thoughts on one of the times he had passed out during his "ride" with Perfume. It embarrassed him to no end to even imagine that he could have forgotten such a significant detail."

"Oh, you need not worry," the Undine reassured him, "Her every need is being attended to right now...and before too long she will be restored to you...in good condition. The Mistress wishes you all to know that she holds your welfare in the highest regard and has every intention of reuniting you...or keeping the set together, as she might put it. In the meantime, feel free to expend that mighty hard-on I see you are packing, my Lord...it is unwise to carry a loaded weapon so formidable out in the open where others can see and be tempted by what you offer."

"Huh?" Ranma glanced down, then hastily put his hands around his manhood, having forgotten that he-like all of the women in the seraglio-was naked in every detail, ESPECIALLY the raging "spike" that he was getting from just watching Ukyo and Shampoo going at it like two minks in heat.

"Allow me to assist you, my Lord," and without waiting for him to accept the invitation, the Undine sank to her knees (so to speak, although "flowed" would be a more accurate description, especially with the sloshing noise her body made as it shifted position from one stance to another...ESPECIALLY in the breast area, as his eyes could not help tracking the way hers responded to the physics of gravity and inertia. Before he knew it the Undine had her mouth wrapped around his dick and gently pried his hands away before doing to work on him, running him in and out of her oral cavity with a sense of mild, fluid viscosity running up and down his shaft like a thousand tiny fingers.

Ranma never even had a chance to voice protest as the Undine woman bobbed her head back and forth while playing her hands against his scrotum, turning his already raging man-meat into a literal ramrod with him arching on the falls of his feet and rolling back his head in disbelief at the pleasure of this sensation. And here he had thought Perfume knew how to give head! This Undine-  
-far from a cold and unfeeling creature-really knew how to stiffen him up and yet not make him feel like someone were trying to pull his dick off with each sucking motion. Compared to her, Ukyo and Nabiki were just amateurs, while Shampoo-easily the most experienced of his wives from all the times she had "cock-sucked" Nabiki-kun, was just a very talented "velvet throat" that liked to drain him like a bottle of cheap sake. As Ranma glanced back down again it was with the disconcerting experience of actually being able to see "through" the Undine's semi-translucent body, meaning that he could see his own cock inside her mouth going down a lot farther than the gateway to her tonsils!

After a moment in which he was held gasping on the edge, afraid that he would lose his balance and fall over, the Undine paused in her relentless assault on oral hygiene by saying, "Am I pleasing you, my Lord? Or would you prefer to ride one of my other openings? I am flexible in all ways that are necessary to insuring your satisfaction.

"Ah..." Ranma swallowed, "This is...nice...but...how...?"

"How is it I know so much about what is pleasing to a man?" the Undine smiled, "I was not always as you see me now. Two hundred years ago I was as human as any other woman within this ship...I was valued for my ability at pleasing the then-captain, and he made me one of his favorites. Alas...I took sick and died...there was no competent surgeon back then who could diagnose and treat pneumonia...but I well remember what it was like to suck a man's balls and have him love me for it, and though there are no men around on this ship upon which for me to practice...I do my best to keep in shape with the ladies..."

Ranma's mind boggled at the possibilities inherent in that statement and said aloud, "Even as...a guy?"

"You catch on quickly, My Lord," she smiled, continuing to play with his cock with her talented hands and fingers, insuring he remained in a fully "upright" position, "Our bodies are pliable...and that means that we can assume many shapes that are to our liking. Though men are not favored by the Mistress upon this vessel, she is pleased to allow us to form masculine organs whenever we like in order to keep the concubines and pleasure slaves happy...and I assure you, we DO keep them quite happy..." she leered in a positively sensuous manner.

"And...you do the same for...each other?" he gasped.

"But of course," the Undine's leer intensified, "You would be amazed at the possibilities afforded by these bodies that we possess by force of our conscious volition. There is much...viscosity in the element of water, and-as such-  
great friction that can be afforded..."

He was beginning to get an idea of that already, but aloud what he asked was, "And...what's your name?" After all, he did not want this to be just some impersonal exchange on their part, nor did he wish to get into the habit of treating women as though they individually did not matter.

"You wish my name?" the lovely lady replied, "In life I was called Yuki...Sugimura Yuki...but you may call me anything that you like...my Lord."

"Yuki," he sighed, not at all surprised to learn that she was Japanese from her nearly flawless Kansai accent, which reminded him very much of Ukyo...even as he turned and blinked, seeing that Ukyo and Shampoo were now themselves being "serviced" by Undines...one in the rear of the upright Ukyo, the other giving pseudo-"cock" to a gasping Shampoo, whose head was tilted back at an angle to receive a translucent "probing," to which Ranma could only gasp, "Nani...?"

"You wished for them to be reminded that they do share a husband," Yuki explained, "We are keeping them well entertained for your benefit until such time as you are at liberty to demonstrate your Lordsright as a husband with both of your wives."

"You...read my thoughts?" Ranma gasped as he felt the renewed pleasuring of her aqueous fingers playing around his balls and shaft.

"We are sensitive to emotions and can fathom out their meaning from the various clues that you provide to us," Yuki replied, "Just as I know that you wish me not to delay you with words when it is the other use for my mouth that most interests you...young Master."

Ranma was not of a mind to ask why she had suddenly shifted her terminology in mid hand-job, because the next thing he knew her mouth was once more in play surrounding and pleasuring his aching hard manhood. It was all that he could do to not pass out from the intense pleasure as he rocked back on his heels while the Undine woman indulged herself in what was-apparently-her favorite hobby, but all the while he kept thinking about what a certain absent wife would have to say if she could see both him and the others at this very moment...which then prompted the other question foremost in his mind before he at last exploded into the liquid throat of the all-too-willing Undine...

Where was Nabiki...?

She was not entirely conscious of just how much time had passed for her, dangling as she was in her "rope-bound" state like a common herd animal being shipped to the slaughterhouse. Nabiki and the other girls had been gently swaying back and forth with the motions of the ship itself while doing nothing more than simply dangle...a fact that was slowly and steadily driving her to distraction as other sensations continued to play about her nubile and (otherwise naked) body!

It had started with a simple nose itch and worked its way on to becoming a full all-over body tingling sensation, an "itch" that needed to be "scratched" in the worst way possible, but no where worse than around her loins as she felt the knotted ropes grind slightly in the "between-thigh" space that was her pelvis. By slight motions of her body-very slight as she lacked even the merest slack for exploitation-Nabiki found that she could "grind" those ropes between her velvety "pussy lips" in order to give herself some relief...but it was...inadequate and quite unsatisfying to her actual needs, which demanded a cock, or-failing that-a tongue and some fingers to play with her "down there." She kept wishing that Ranma would show up to take advantage of her or-  
-or even LAO-she was that badly horny! She had no "wiggle room" by which to work her hands free so that she could play them over her whole body, ESPECIALLY with the way her nipples were starting to perpetually harden and even her feet felt as though they needed sucking on...ANYTHING to relieve the pressure that was turning her whole body into one massing "Need to Fuck" organ!

She also needed to find a privy sometimes fast...and the only way she could have done something about that would have been to "let go" where she was, but that would doubtlessly become rather messy. She was chaffing in her helpless state, beleaguered by her relative isolation, though she had plenty of company in the form of other bound and helpless women. Just staring at those who were within visible range of her gave her all sorts of ideas of what she would do if released to each and every one of these girls, both as herself and in the form of "Kaneda." It shocked her to think that she could have such lecherous, adulterous thoughts, but that was just how horny she was, and how badly much she needed to go to the bathroom!

The Undines were avoiding her...that had to be it! They were making her to suffer while taking their time with the other girls. Every time one of the liquid forms came sliding down a set of ropes to engulf one of the girls and provide her with "stress relief," Nabiki felt her body clench with jealousy, wanting someone to do that for her, just as the (surprisingly pleasurable) Undine woman had done for her that very morning.

Damn Lao and her sadistic methods! Even being whipped was better than this...neglect! What was taking that damned Tigress so long that she would leave Nabiki all alone and unmolested? Nabiki would have thought that Lao would be hard at work right then and there trying to break her spirit and turn her into one of her bubble-headed little minions! It would serve that Cow right if Nabiki got loose and came after her, and when-NOT IF-it happened, Nabiki was going to give her a piece of her mind...or a piece of something, preferably as Kaneda, and plying all "twenty-three" centimeters of his long, hard shaft right into the stuck-up butt of that amorous pirate! Oh yes...Nabiki could definitely imagine herself ass-pumping Lao for all she was worth, giving that Hentai a piece of her own...

Nabiki paused, still having the presence of mind to mentally say, (What the fuck?) as she replayed those last thoughts, wondering how in the world she could have gotten the notion of using Lao as a sex object! Had she really and truly gone crazy from just a few hours of (relative) isolation?

Just then she heard a pair of voices approaching, conversing in Chinese, no less, and with very little difficulty she made them out to be the two "other" Amazons, Lotus and Blossom.

"...But I am telling you, the Mistress definitely wants for us to treat the Tendo party to the best of our abilities, which means giving them full and complete access to both the seraglio and other harem-related portions of this vessel.I'm not saying anything against that," the pink-haired Lotus insisted, "I'm just saying that the Mistress may risk alienating the very people that she is attempting to convince of her sincerity. Just look how she is treating Tendo Nabiki, the leader of their clan, while giving special treatment in order to pacify her husband and keep him is why the Mistress is doing what she is doing," Blossom insisted, "Lord Ranma has the means at his disposal of being a nuisance, should he be given too much liberty aboard this ship. Neither can we appear to be resisting his desires to check up on his wife...that is why he must be kept...distracted, and how fortuitous that his own wives-our fellow Amazon, no less-have so far been willing to provide the , you can't exactly blame him for that...after all, he's a man," Lotus shrugged, "They are subject to the rule of their hormones...but just the same, if Lord Ranma does learn that the Mistress is keeping one of his wives here with the rest of our cargo...That is why we must keep him distracted," Blossom said as the two Amazons halted before Nabiki, taking a moment to admire her helpless state before continuing, "After all, this is for his benefit. This one is a most...disrespectful wife. She continually seeks to gain the upper hand over her husband, and she is not at all deferential to his manhood. That will change...once the real training begins.I'm not too sure about that," Lotus replied, "She may prove to be one of those who does not break under pressure, in which case we may only accomplish making her more angry and resentful. Still and all...I cannot find fault with the Mistress for wanting to be closer to this one...she does make for a very tempting package.I quite agree," Blossom leered, and moved closer to Nabiki, so close, in fact, that she could reach out and touch one of her inner thighs, then slowly ran her fingers down to the groin area, at which point the began teasing the already-exposed "pussy" along the edges without needing to push past the knots that were currently grinding their way ever-deeper into Nabiki, "Such a find degree of neural responsiveness...see how she reacts to when I do this along her lining?"

Nabiki could not exactly see where "this" was, being just a little too low for her line of vision, but that next moment she found those fingers teasing the nerves near to the inside "flap" of her vagina, and YE KAMI ABOVE, did it feel GOOD! She shivered all over and silently wished that Blossom's hand would linger there a little while longer, anything to help relieve the stress that had been tormenting her with ever more relentless fury.

"Oh yes," Lotus went from moody and concerned to smiling as she came closer and played a hand over Nabiki's right foot, which was resting about face-level, "There is certainly nothing wrong with the way she is put together...a fine acquisition for the lady, one who could earn a fair price with just the right amount of training, should she choose to accept it. Ancestors above...does this look tasty...!"

And with that Lotus brought the foot up to her mouth and began rubbing Nabiki's instep against her face, then licking it with her tongue, which again made Nabiki feel a very odd shiver. When Lotus next took the helpless Nabiki's big toe up to her mouth she began to suck on it as though it were the head of a cock, again causing Nabiki to feel no end of delighted stimulation.

"Ah well," Blossom seemed to take great amusement in her companion's "foot worship," then mused, "Time enough to sample the charms of this package once she's broken to the harness. She'll be fair game once the Mistress formally inducts her into the harem...but for now...we have a job to do, and since the Mistress had left her off-limits to the Undine..." Lotus reluctantly sighed as she let off of her toe-sucking, giving Nabiki's foot an affectionate pat, "That means it's the catheter for this one...at least until we come back to visit her in a few more hours..."

(Catheter?) Nabiki mentally repeated, then in an even more alarmed tone of voice, (A FEW MORE HOURS...?)

Then she felt gentle pressure as Blossom lifted her up somewhat in her rope harness, hands cradling Nabiki's ass-cheeks to relieve some of the pressure on her "crotch-ropes." With methodical efficiency, Lotus pried the knotted cords from between the folds of Nabiki's vagina and went to work inserting something that felt like a very long FINGER into her crevice, then finding and attaching some sort of clip to her clitoris, and a few moments later affixing the catheter into place. Blossom let her down once again, then gave a playful swat to Nabiki's bare bottom, and with that Nabiki "let go" of the stream of fluids that had been welling up within her, feeling her urine drain away into a hollow tube that extended down into the flooring.

"" Blossom said as the blue-haired Amazon began to turn away, "That should keep her for a few more hours...what say we let her down just before third watch? That way we can turn her over and bind her up again in an even more interesting good to me," the pink-haired, shorter Amazon replied, "Hopefully she won't give us too much trouble with a few hours more rest, and the Undines will let us know if anything happens in the meantime."

Nabiki listened to them leaving her alone again with a sense of dismay that all but overwhelmed her being. They were just going to take off like that, after getting her revved up like this? Unfair! Were they deliberately trying to drive her crazy? She had a good mind to write her Minister at the Diet...

Suddenly Lao was not at the top of her "sh*t" list anymore, now she was including "loyal henchwomen" under the category of "Needs to Be Ass-Screwed!" If she could have kicked or bucked at all she would have been jumping up and down in frustration. It was so UNFAIR! What had she ever done to deserve this? That Lao was a cunning sadist, but it seemed that her women were themselves a bunch of "cunt-teasing" jerks who acted like she was just a piece of meat for their inspection, as though forgetting that she knew how to speak Chinese and would have appreciated it if they had shown her the least little bit of affection...

(Lao), she thought acidly, (You'd better watch out, because when I get my hands on you, because when I do...)

It was amazing to think what mental images were conjured up next in her semi-  
fevered state, all of which involved Nabiki venting her lust in a carnal sort of way upon a bound and helpless Lao, who was at her tender mercies as the Tendo girl imagined herself liberally applying so much-needed and long-delayed "Justice," and making totally sure that Lao would take it all in and learn to "like" it...

Unbeknownst to her, at that very moment, the Lady Pirate in question was reclined in a bed with a very supine Martha beside her...the naked Kryptonian in orichalcum chains purring contentedly as Lao stretched a lazing hand and played with the tip of her right nipple.

"Now then," Lao smiled, "That wasn't so bad, was it?"

"Oh yeeeeeessss..." Martha stretched like a cat and purred contentedly, as only a woman could who had just experienced the first (hell, the ONLY) genuine, deep throat-rushing, gut-clenching climax that she had had in...well...forever! "You do that quite well...I guess I really...needed that after all..."

"You see?" Lao leered, "The body never lies...the eyes never lie either, and I knew that your protests were only paper thin. All it takes is the hands of another woman who knows how to stimulate you to new levels of experience the likes of which you can only just imagine."

"No fooling," Martha gasped as Lao stretched her hand down and lightly caressed her loins, then placed her clitoris between thumb and forefinger, causing her nominal "victim" to clench her teeth and groan at the wonderful torment of it all. Just about everything Lao did to her was good, and it was positively sinful to submit herself this way to the tender mercies of her amorous captor.

"So," Martha managed to say as she felt Lao's hand drift ever lower onto her sex, "What happens next with me...are you going to continue to ravish me like this?"

"Oh yes," Lao smiled, "I haven't even begun to show you how I work my charms upon even the most ardently resisting female who falls into my wicked clutches. I intend to show you ways of experiencing pleasure that even your lovely Helena has never imagined. So long as you continue to yield to me, I will give you more reasons to climax than you can count using all your toes and fingers twice over..."

"Oh really?" Martha sounded intrigued at the prospect, then rolled back her head and gasped even louder this time as she felt Lao insert two fingers up into her pussy.

"Yes really," Lao leered, "Are you offering me any resistance?"

"Would it help if I did?" Martha groaned.

"Not in the least," Lao assured her with a tigerish expression, "For you, resistance is futile."

"Then..." Martha's throat caught as Lao's fingers curled up within her and found the fabled "G-spot" and wiggled the tips of her two fingers up against it, "...I guess...I'd better not resist..."

"Oh, resist all you like," Lao replied as she brought her mouth down and flicked her tongue against Martha's right nipple, "It makes it all the more fun when I conquer you...you definitely need conquering, and I am just the party who will be doing the conquering."

Martha smiled sensuously as she writhed on the bed, responding to the relentless probing of the amorous lady pirate, curling her feet and stretching the bedsheets as she ground her hips and worked her legs against the bed, her arms behind her back affording her some leverage through the use of her elbows as she allowed herself to be moved to a blissful state by her captor. In all truth it had been years since she had allowed herself to be captured by a major villain, let alone been tormented like this by said villain...and now she was remembering exactly why she viewed Catwoman (the younger Minx, not the one who had married the original Batman) and Lady Shiva with affection, and why she had found Lar Gand so intriguing when she had fallen prey to that "Daxam Truth Squad." Lao put them all to shame-even Shiva-when it came to outright, sensuous, full-  
bodied sexual "torment," and being subjected to the "worst" that her current captor had to offer was certainly by far the best sort of "captivity" that Martha could ever have imagined.

But even in her heightened state of arousal, she could not help asking, "So...you really mean to let me go by the end of a week?"

"I figure that much time should give me plenty of opportunities to convince you that I'm not the worst sort of scum to ply these oceans," Lao smiled, "You already know the worst of what I am capable, at least to those who are not deserving of worse treatment. You know that I am a slaver who likes to prey on other women, though I prefer to think of it as 'liberating' the victims of fellow pirates who are far worse than me in that regard. I'm wicked, but I am not consummately evil, and I care about those who fall prey to my methods. And besides...much as I delight in your company, my dear, you do have a life beyond this ship that you will need to eventually get back to..."

"Yes," Martha replied, finding herself strangely less than excited by the prospect, "A life...such as it is...and a business that I need to run...and responsibilities as a CEO, and...and..." she paused and left unsaid the later part of her thinking: (Nothing else worth coming back to). It was daunting for her to realize how empty her life felt when reflected upon from an entirely different perspective.

"Actually," Lao smiled, "It doesn't sound like all that bad of a life..."

"You think so?" Martha stared at the ceiling, "I have a cat...and some parakeets, and some goldfish...but...that's it. Now that Joan is grown up and away doing-whatever-and Hal's off gallivanting around the Galaxy doing God-  
knows-what..."

"But don't you have a social life to help fill the space in your personal day?" Lao wondered, "I have memories of charitable balls and parties you like to attend, and people you socialize with on a daily basis..."

"But no one who makes me feel special," Martha almost pouted, "No...man, anyway...I've...almost given up on the whole entire fucking breed..."

"Single life not much to your liking, eh?" Lao mused, "And you being so young still...your body hardly looks to be over thirty..."

"I'm part Kryptonian," Martha replied, "We don't age like normal humans."

"Well, I don't see anything un-normal or inhuman about you," Lao mused, letting her forth finger join the rest in the gulf of Martha's "vineyards," to which Martha parted her thighs and wiggled her hips as she squirmed for advantage, rolling her eyes as it felt SO GOOD to be handled in such a manner, "And you do appeal to me for very HUMAN reasons..."

"OOOH...YESSS!" Martha sang, "OH YESSS!"

"Say cheesecake," Lao mused as she brought her mouth down and kissed Martha fully on the lips, her tongue probing into that mouth as Martha hesitated a moment before employing her own tongue to mesh and "wrestle" both around and against this "intruder." Martha returned the kiss with equal ardor, wondering why no man had ever kissed her that way, even Hal being no great exception.

That kiss led on to more affectionate and lingering kisses that Lao planted along her cheeks, neck and throat, nuzzling her way down from the hollow of her collarbone, all the while working her hand up into an infinitely more sensitive place, bringing Martha off yet again with another wrenching orgasm, the sixth so far in the past several hours, and with no sign as yet that the fun was anytime soon ending.

"Marvelous," Lao murmured as she brought her lips down at last to circle around Martha's right breast, causing Martha to gasp and hold her breath in as she prepared once again to be suckled, "You have excellent responses...there is nothing wrong with you in any physical sense...you are indeed a super woman...but...it makes me sad to think of you as so unhappy..."

Lao then put that gifted tongue of hers to work stroking her way up the lofty heights of Martha's "twin peaks," her free hand playing with the other nipple and breast of the self-named "Power Woman," but her words echoed in Martha's mind even as her body went through the stages of a gradual built-up to a seventh shuddering orgasm, and when at last it came and her mind went white, Lao's lips fastened securely over her "breast meat," it hammered home a point that the pirate had been working towards the whole time that they had been spending together.

"Am I...?" Martha gasped when her mouth would work coherently once more, her mind reeling at the implications of how easily the Slaver was commanding her body to perform on demand, and with such systematic timing that it could have been number coordinated, "Am I...unhappy? I...never...really thought that much...about it..."

"Well, you don't seem too unhappy at the moment," Lao replied as she briefly took her mouth off of one nipple, only to transfer her lips to encircling the other one for some heavy-duty mouth-to-breast suction.

"I -GASP-guess-OOOHHH-SOOO!" Martha shuddered as pleasurable waves built up inside her from the way that Lao was stroking and fondling her nerve endings, "But...is it...because...I can't seem to FIND-OOOHHH-the right person?" she paused, then ventured further, "Or...is it-AHHHHH-because I have...ooooohhh...found the right person...and I-AIIIEEE-lacked the nerve-  
OOOOOHHH-to do anything about it?"

"You tell me," Lao murmured as she briefly came up for air then began to paint a line of kisses down the length of Martha's body, relentlessly aiming for the most intense pleasure-center of all while pausing only briefly to add, "Was it a fling...or did she truly mean that much to you...and you didn't want to face the implications."

"The implications...that I'm a lesbian?" Martha panted.

"You're not a Lesbian just because you like girls," Lao smiled as she paused to lift Martha up by her hips in order to bring her loins up to mouth level, causing Martha to tilt her weight back onto her shoulders, "A true lesbian can only react to the touch of another woman...and you do like men...I can tell by the way you like to have your pussy played with."

"You can tell by that?" Martha asked in perverse fascination, staring up the length of her body as Lao held her up so that her feet were barely touching the bedsheets.

"I can tell a lot about you from the things that make you horny," Lao leered hungrily at the crotch that was only inches away from her face, "You like men, but you're also turned on by women...but it's not a gender issue with you that truly explains your lonely state..."

"Oh?" Martha asked, "What does?"

"The fact that you are virtually immortal...or have an indefinite lifespan due to your natural healing ability," Lao replied, "And the mortals you interact with are-effectively-still mortal."

And with that Lao gave into temptation, planting a series of kisses and affectionate licks on Martha's already well-lubricated loins, followed by a deeper, much more probing tongue-lick that seemed to grind and caress her insides at a far greater depth than a human tongue should have been able to travel. For several long minutes coherent speech was impossible for the both of them, until Martha's body at last gave in to an eighth and most intensive earth-  
shaking orgasm. The hungry sounds of Lao eating her out filled her ears long after they stopped ringing, while Martha held on in a state of blissful semi-  
contentment, finding her body had at long last reached the edge of what pleasuring she could withstand, at which point Lao withdrew her tongue and lowered her back onto the bed.

"Delicious," Lao said cheerfully, dabbing off her moistened chin with her fingers, "My compliments to the chef."

Martha felt a lazy, contented blush come over her as her mind swam in a sea of hormonal bliss, but at last-when she was able to think semi-coherently again-  
-she voiced her next question, "So...you think I broke it up with Helena...because I was afraid of losing her?"

"That she might age and die long before your time is a definite possibility," Lao replied as she laid her own long, lean form next to Martha, "It can be painful to lose a loved one...I know...and sometimes you will do almost anything within your power to spare yourself from that pain. It doesn't work, of course, because in the end we just wind up cheating ourselves of what time we do have together. I wonder if that might also be a part of why you broke up with your husband?"

Martha shook her head negatively, "No...Hal became a virtual God around the time when we broke up...there was never any question that he'd be able to live for centuries, if he hadn't turned slightly megalomaniacal near the end. Finding Carol alive again set him off like you'd never believe, but...in the end he stabilized and I think he eventually found himself...without me, of course. The fact that his first wife was still alive...and what that meant about our marriage..."

"That must have been hard," Lao sympathized, "Ten years of marriage...gone as if they'd never happened..."

"Joan took it the hardest," Martha sighed, "I think I should have worked harder at explaining things to her, but when you're eight years old, and impressionable..."

"I see," Lao combed her fingers through the other woman's brown hair, smoothing tussled locks that were partially sweat-soaked and disarrayed around Martha's lovely face, "I guess being declared an illegitimate child affected her badly. What an odd term that is...I can't imagine any child born of love as being illegitimate..."

"Neither can I," Martha replied, "But I guess that's Joan's problem in a nutshell...she lost something vital when Hal left us...some self-respect and a father she looked up to..."

"I wish I could do something about that," Lao sighed, "Maybe somehow bring the two of you closer together..."

"Well...don't take this the wrong way, but I doubt Joan would be too kindly disposed towards you," Martha replied, "You're everything she rants and raves against when it comes to the treatment of women. She'd say you exploited me, took advantage of a vulnerable moment, reduced me to a sex object and shamelessly had your way with my body..."

"And she would be completely right in her assumptions," Lao chuckled softly.

"God, you're evil," Martha grinned, "But a nice kind of evil...does that make any kind of sense?"

"I'm not sure," Lao mused, "I'm the Bad Guy, remember?"

"Oh yeah," Martha mused, "I suppose I really should be thinking up ways of bringing you to justice...but...I guess that wouldn't really be a good thing after all...what with the Kraken and all..."

"Well, hopefully, over the next few days, I'll be able to convince you that I'm better off alive and free than dead and in a cage...unless you plan on becoming the POJs new Mistress," Lao mused softly, "That will be my goal...convincing you not to reduce me into so much guacamole when the time comes to remove these chains from your body and allow you to regain full use of your powers..."

Martha glanced down at herself, at the golden links that looped around her waist, keeping her hands from moving more than a foot away from her body, then she rattled her legs and felt the manacles there, marveling that such a simple thing as this Orichalcum could deny her the full use of her powers. Enough energy was still trickling into her to made her body stronger and more resilient than a normal woman, but anything beyond this bare-minimal measure was sapped away as though siphoned out of her by a ground wire.

"Do you really mean to let me go at the end of a week?" Martha asked.

"Oh yes," Lao replied, "For a number of reasons."

"Such as?"

"Number one being that you have a life to get back to," Lao explained, "And people will start missing you if you're gone beyond a certain date. I'm sure you can come up with a reasonable explanation for taking a week off without warning, your shareholders and employees must be used to you vanishing every now and then whenever am emergency claims your attention."

"Um...yes...well..."

"And two," Lao once again laid a hand to cup and fondle Martha's nearest bosom, the one on the right, "As much as I delight in your company, I couldn't really bring myself to deny the world one of its most valuable superheroines. I don't often go far beyond the shoreline when the POJ is in port, but I read enough of the headlines to know that this world is often threatened by menaces that are beyond the means of normal police agencies and conventional military forces. You pitch into save the world whenever you are needed...you are a hero in a true sense, and so I cannot, in good conscience, keep you here indefinitely on the off-chance that you may be needed elsewhere by someone whose need is greater."

"Well, I don't...save the world all that often...but I do what I can to help out..." Martha noted.

"Third...there are issues in your life that you need to resolve on your own, and keeping you here would prevent you from facing down and working out those problems," Lao continued, "Your daughter is one issue, Helena is another, and then there is the state of your life, which is only in a shambles because you have chosen to leave it that way. You need to get out more, to socialize and reaffirm those human contacts that you have allowed to wither from neglect. There are people who genuinely care about you as the person you present yourself as being, and staying with me indefinitely would be like hiding out from the world...not that I don't mind the company and wouldn't want you to stay if I could allow it."

"I...guess you're right about that," Martha said very softly, "Maybe I have been allowing things to slide...maybe I could try harder and...starting new relationships. But..." she sighed again, "Why is it I feel so much like Ebenezer Scrooge after doing the three-ghosts of Christmas therapy package?"

"Sometimes all it takes to make a change is to learn to see things in a different light," Lao replied, then resumed once again, "And...lastly...there is your father."

"My father?" Martha asked.

"The very same," Lao winced slightly, "I may be bad, but I have a healthy respect for my limitations, and having the mightiest man on the planet get upset with me is not exactly in my best interest. All I need is for him to hear that I mistreated, abused or tried to keep you here against your will and...well...I really don't need to elaborate on that, do I?"

"I guess not," Martha sniffed, "But still...why does he have to find out it's you? You could always sell me off to one of his enemies and collect a tidy profit..."

"There is not enough gold in these seven seas for me to want to sell you to one who might do your harm," Lao replied, "I've come to respect you far too well for that."

"A Pirate with scruples?" Martha arched an eyebrow, "What is the world coming to?"

"Hopefully it is coming to be a better place absent the people whom I go after," Lao replied, "You may not know this, but Piracy has been on the increase in the Asian seas...far worse than it has ever been since the end of Colonialism, when organized navies would suppress piracy wherever they found it."

"I'd think you would look on that as a good thing," Martha eyed her companion frankly.

"You would be wrong to assume that," Lao said simply, "Most pirates today are as ruthless and bloodthirsty as their pre-colonial forebears, and they love to prey on those who cannot fight back. Often they will kill such innocent people as they come across and take whatever they want...I've seen the remains of entire families ravished by these vermin, who do not even spare the women and children."

Martha thought about that for a few seconds before saying, "And you prey on them, which makes you better than they are?"

"I like to believe so," Martha said, "I am an opportunist, I take advantage of a situation as I find it, but I do have scruples about the things I do in order to make a living. Total ruthlessness is a vice that traps you up and makes you careless...having a concern about those weaker than myself helps give me an edge that I need to keep on living as I do. I relish sinking to the bottom of the Marianis such loathsome pigs as Helgar and any who would work with him, but I draw the line at innocents, which helps me to sleep better at night."

"But don't you also raid those selfsame innocents whenever it suits you?" Martha wondered.

"If I find people adrift who come across my path, I will react accordingly, but only if I believe the situation is called for," Lao replied, "I only take women as prisoners...men have little interest to me, so I set them adrift whenever I am able, or ashore when it is most convenient..."

"Like that ocean liner that you rescued," Martha pointed out.

"Exactly," Lao replied, "I would never hit that big a target if it had not been struck already...such things bring down the wrong sort of attention, and in this profession anonymity is the watchword. Of course, that brings up the other issue behind why I must eventually free you."

"Which is?" Martha asked.

"You are a publisher and an owner of several newspapers, print media, television stations and even several internet websites," Lao replied, "And with that sort of power you could be far more dangerous to me than anyone but my father."

"The pen is mightier than the superpowers, eh?" Martha asked.

"It always was and will always be that way," Lao replied, "Knowledge is power, and if you vanished into thin air while investigating that liner, then someone in one of your news agencies is bound to run a story about that, which could in turn lead to an investigation, which would then lead to everyone and his kid sidekick finding out about me...and that could mean real trouble."

"I see your point," Martha mused, "Is that why you made love to me? To get a good review in my column?"

"Actually, I made love to you because I find you highly attractive," Lao leered as she ran her hand down between the silken thighs of her companion, "And I'd never forgive myself if I let an opportunity like this slip away from me. It just wouldn't me...cricket."

Martha laughed at that, a genuine, deep-throated laugh, one that made her feel lighter somehow and generally good about everything, even as Lao's pleasuring was once again stirring up her smoldering ardor.

"You really are something," Marsha shook her head with a chuckle, "I don't know when I've ever had such a good time in the clutches of a supervillain..."

"So, does that mean that I get to live?"

"Well..." Martha pretended to consider the point, "I suppose...there really are people far worse than you in the world...and you're easy to talk to. I'm not crazy about the idea that you enslave your girls to sell them at your pleasure, or that you seem to practice some kind of cult mind control with your followers...but given all of that, I'm not about to call in the Specter."

"Then I am reprieved...for now," Lao mused, "But only if I continue to remain in your good graces."

"Well then," it was Martha's turn to leer, "I guess maybe that means that you'd better go back to giving me reasons to get to like you...starting with letting me take a more active part in things. This laying back in bed and letting you do all the work is...pretty limiting, after all...and I'm dying to find out what you taste like."

"You really want to know?" Lao cooed, then ran a finger up against her own well-  
lubricated snatch and raised its glistening surface up to Martha's lips, who gratefully took the finger in and licked it, closing her eyes and making approving noises of evident savor.

"More," she asked, "Let me drink from the source."

"As you wish," Lao replied, getting up on all fours and repositioning herself so that her mound was poised over Martha's face, then lowered her groin until she was all but smothering her companion, who wasted no time getting to work with her tongue, giving back to Lao with interest every bit of savory action that had been applied to drive her nearly mad with lust but a few minutes before. Like climbing back on a bicycle, the years since she had taken a woman into her mouth fell away and "Power Woman" took over, the naked executive turned bondage slave having resolved to give vent to her long-denied libido, and with that thought in mind she stared employing her mouth and lips on the randy piratess who was presently her captor, even as Lao bent down and applied her own mouth to assume a classic sixty-nine position...and before too long the slave was giving back as good as she was receiving, and loving every minute of it as though born to this sort of thing rather than making the best of a situation that was right out of her most perverse fantasies, the kind "proper women" were not supposed to indulge in...

Far away from the POJ-almost on the other side of the world, in fact-there existed a strange and quixotic peninsula that hangs from the continent of North America like a thrusting male member aimed southward as though at half-mast. This was a curious land, a land barely a few feet above sealevel and comprised largely of a mesa block of coral, a land without mountains and borders, where the seasons shifted more swiftly than the mood swings of the political climate, and where many retirement folk often came to spend their twilight years collecting social security checks from a soon-to-be-broke system.

It was also a land of startling contrasts, of warm Caribbean waters lapping it from the south while cold Arctic waters drifted in to take a summer vacation, a land where it rained often and was even known to snow on odd occasions, a land where exiles from the Islands of the south mingled with surfer dudes and suntanned beach bunnies, a land that ran the gamut of the political spectrum, and yet where tolerance of diversity was not a major watchword.

Amidst this land of swamps and humidity, a land where mosquitoes were by far the dominant population, and alligators were often mistaken for road-kill, there existed a county known as Dade, where strange and bizarre things could happen with great frequency, from fifty foot tall women suddenly appearing from no where to absolutely polarized election results being counted to the last ten votes. Here in a land where no one in their right mind would set up a headquarters there existed a rundown and abandoned school building that had been reconverted into a headquarters by a certain group of superheroes (and no, they did not call themselves the "Southeast Avengers").

This group was more of a distaff persuasion than the better known and more well respected hero groups that operated out of America. For one thing its membership was entirely women-oriented, and while they did have more than their share of heavy-hitters, they were not exactly a group first on everyone's lips when it came to emergency situations. Privately funded but with some government contacts, this group had a certain...reputation (not entirely deserved) that made some people leery about calling upon their services, and for that reason they were often snidely referred to (also unjustly) by those of a politically incorrect persuasion as the "PMS Rangers."

A nickname, one should hasten to add, that they royally disliked, and if they heard someone refer to them that way, then they would not even bother calling upon the services of their lawyers but rather gladly clean your clocks out six ways from Sunday!

In these poorly refurbished (well, actually, parts of the school had been destroyed repeatedly and had been rebuilt...when their budget allowed it) quarters there went on such practices that would have earned a frown from Anita Bryant, and one such decadent pairing is the reason for even mentioning this place in the midst of Hentai story. It began with a phone call, as is of ten the case in such situations a ringing phone that played upon the nerves of one of the occupants, so much so that she stretched out a clawed (and furry) hand to snatch up the receiving and snarl, "WHAT THE (BLEEP) DO YOU WANT?"

"Ahm...hello?" said a highly accented voice in one who seemed to speak English as a second language, "I hope I have the right address...my name is Alison...and I'm looking for my niece..."

"Alison who?" said the furry, redheaded woman dressed in a simple bikini-styled costume, hanging upside down by her toes, which were presently wrapped around an overhead pipe, sounding most annoyed to be disturbed in her reading of the 'Lesbian Kama Sutra.'"

"Claudia?" the voice tried again, "Is that you? You sound familiar...it's been a few years...but maybe you ought to know me...Rad's younger aunt, Ally?"

"Rad?" the dangling cat-woman swished her tail and looked unusually thoughtful, then said, "Oh yeah...been a few years all right...you're that kid that the big Blue Cheese had with Wonderbread. Yeah, I'll go find Rad, she's probably strung out from another all-night bender, so hang on a few minutes."

So saying, the hirsute woman set the phone down next to the cradle then flipped over and landed effortlessly on her feet, then stalked down the corridor to the area set aside as "Joan Wayne's Crash Pad," an area normally off-limits to anyone sensible who still had an ounce of self-preservation left within their body. The woman known as Claudia just hummed a merry tune off-key on something about addiction and then banged on the door to Joan's room and cried out, "YO! HEY RAD, YOU GOT A CALL FROM YOUR AUNT, YOU RAGING BULL-DYKE!"

She was rewarded by hearing a loud groan, followed by a crash and some profuse swearing, which brought a smile to Claudia's face as she contemplated the probable expression of her otherwise nominal teammate. These were the moments that she lived for, and screwing with Joan's head was near the top of her list of fun things to do to liven up an evening.

Inside the room a bleach blond haired young woman named Joan Wayne (formerly Jordan) struggled to reach out for her alarm clock and missed it by a foot...the foot belonging to her current bed partner and fellow teammate, Lila (AKA "Polaria"). This earned a muffled "wuh?" from her girlfriend as Joan made stumbled apologies and moved to foot to find the clock.

Bringing said clock up to one bloodshot eye, she peered at the numbers on the dial then groaned, "What the (EXPLITIVE DELETED) bloody hell? Do you know what (UNPRINTABLE) time it is, 'Cat? It's Three (BEEP) O'clock in the morning!"

"So?" she heard the voice from the other side of the door call out, "It's long distance, from one of your relatives...the one in Japan, remember her?"

"Who?" Joan pried herself up off the bed with about as much effort as an arthritic patient would use trying to open a "child-proof" aspirin bottle, "What relative?"

"Alison...something or other," Claudia replied, "Remember her? The cute redhead?"

"Um..." Joan had to think about it for a moment before she replied, "Oh yeah...Alison...what the fuck does she want?"

"How the fuck do I know?" Claudia countered, "She's your aunt."

Joan said something rather unprintable about family then raised her voice and said, "Tell her to hang on...I'll be there in a minute!"

"Sure thing," Claudia called back, "I'll just tell her you're too drugged out to come to the phone, but you'll be there anyway because you're too cheap to call her back even at evening rates."

"I swear," Joan growled in an undertone as she forced herself out from under the legs of her recumbent bed partner, "One of these days I'm gonna tie that cat's tail up in knots and use her for a punching bag..."

"Can I watch?" Lila asked, her slurred tones denoting that she was already partially awake herself and combing reddish-golden hairs out of her own eyes before saying, "You never told me you had a relative living in Japan?"

"She's my Aunt, only she's about a year younger than me, from my Mom's younger sister," Joan replied as she started to stand up, only to have a bare foot crunch down on a discarded aluminum can, which earned another spat of profanity as she kicked it way, imbedding the thing in the already battered plaster paneling that covered the soundproofing of her room, "A good kid...maybe just a wee bit destructive, but that kind of runs in the family..."

"Sounds like a real handful," Lila smiled, "Like a certain high-maintenance girlfriend I know about..."

"Don't start with me or I'll spank you," Joan half-smiled in the near-darkness of the chamber, which for her was as bright as a well lit summer day.

"So, what's keeping you?" Lila smiled, "You know I love it when you spank me."

Despite the hangover that was presently making her see double, Joan had to smile at that, relishing the humor of her fellow "bad girl" love interest. She reached for a negligée that was hanging from a battered chair and tied it around her waist, rendering herself barely decent by the standards of this place. Thus effectively dressed, she pushed her way past the debris that concealed a good portion of the floor like the best camouflage job an Army Ranger could construct using refuse instead of something more biologically friendly.

Out in the corridor she braced herself to endure the withering glare of the hallway lightbulbs-definitely not the thing she needed to improve her mood by one iota. She grit her teeth and headed for the day room, which had the only working telephone in the otherwise rundown complex, passing by another one of her teammates who, who just then was coming out of the common bathroom saying, "ALL RIGHT, WHO WROTE 'FEMINAZIS RULE' ON THE BATHROOM MIRROR WITH LIPSTICK AGAIN?"

"Gee, Colt," Joan smiled innocently, which was about as convincing for her as a smile on a cobra, especially as she was wincing from the loud noise being made, "Can't imagine who would do a thing like that..."

"Very funny," the short, wiry older girl (who was-by a strange quirk-the actual team leader) glared at the six-foot tall Rad in an accusing manner, "And I suppose you also don't know who poured corn syrup over my AK47? And what the hell did you do with my autographed NRA Poster of Charlton Heston?"

"What makes you think I did anything with it?" Joan replied, "The next thing you know you'll be asking me what happened to your 'Eviscerater 2000'..."

"That was YOU who took it?" Colt responded with a snarl, "How many times have I told you to keep your hands off my gun collection, you-Junkie?!"

"A hundred and forty two times," Joan shrugged, "But who's counting?"

She left her nominal leader fuming in the hall as she picked up the phone and said, "Yeah...this you, Ally? This better be good..."

"Joan-san," an oddly familiar (perhaps because she sounded a bit older than the last time they were together, Joan reasoned), "I've got bad news...it's about your mother..."

"Yeah?" Joan's tone became suddenly quite frosty, "What about her?"

"She...um...was trying to help me find some friends of mine...only she got herself captured by a bad guy...a slaver..." Alison paused before adding, "Ano...I'm sorry..."

"A slaver," Joan repeated, "You're kidding, right?"

"Wish I was, Joan-san," Alison replied, "But it's been confirmed by some...pretty reliable sources...in fact, I even talked to the Pirate who has her."

"Well, good for her!" Joan snapped, "I'm sure Mom could use the vacation..."

"Joan-san?" Alison sounded shocked.

"What did Mom do to get herself slapped in irons anyway?" Joan snarled, "Not that I've got any interest in what happens to her, seeing how she cut me off from my fucking allowance!"

"Joan-san," Alison chided, "You don't really mean that?"

"Read my lips..." Joan snarled, "Mom can kiss my ass for..."

"Excuse me," an unfamiliar voice said on the same line, "I am sorry to butt in on this heartwarming discussion, but I feel I do have an interest in pointing out that your mother-whatever her faults may be-is presently in the captivity of one who had the power to overcome her through magical means. Now...Alison says that you have some immunity to the two things that most bother Kryptonian descendants...Kryptonite and Magic...am I right?"

Joan paused before snarling, "Who the (EXPLITIVE DELETED) is this?"

"I," the voice replied, "Am Alison's live-in lover and the fama of her child..."

"BEIKO!" Alison sounded shocked, "She doesn't have to know about that!"

"What?" Joan blinked twice, "The fama of her...what?"

"It's quite simple," Beatrice replied, "Alison is with child, my child to be exact, which is why we are not in a very good position to do anything about the plight of her half-sister. Now, you are the daughter of that sister, you should have at least some passing interest about what happens to your mother. I am something of an expert on parent-daughter dysfunctional relations, so I can sympathize with your situation, but if it were my father who had been taken captive, like him or not, I would not tolerate having someone else deal with him in my stead. Now...may I assume that the same holds true of you?"

"Who are you?" Joan asked in a slightly more sober manner.

"If you wish to know that, then meet us at the following coordinates," and Beatrice gave longitude and latitude numbers that Joan mentally filed away, now completely cold sober, "We will be there in about three hours...which is sunset our time. May we expect you to be there?"

Joan blinked her eyes a moment then said, "That's the Pacific Ocean...a few hundred miles off from the Philippines, right? All right...I'll be there."

"Good," the suave voice with a mile Japanese accent replied, "Then I look forward to greeting you as a kinswoman. Sayonara."

Joan stared at the phone in her hand for a full minute before setting it back down again, shaking her head as she muttered, "Weird..."

"Do you need any help?" a voice calmly asked her from behind.

"Ah..." Joan turned around to regard Lila, "Thanks...but...I think I'd like to do this thing by myself. It's...family stuff...and it concerns my Mom..."

"I know," Lila shuffled her feet, which were presently shod in a kawaii pair of bunny slippers (not that Joan knew what a kawaii is, reckoning it to be some kind of animal with large, sharp teeth), "I was...kind of listening in with my powers..."

"You can hear a phone from where you're standing?" Joan cocked an eyebrow, thinking to herself that Lila looked very cute in a tussled, grungy kind of way.

"I can hear magnetic vibrations," Lila replied, "It's...kind of a trick I've picked up over the years. Something about your mother being captured by a pirate slaver."

"Say what?" asked Claudia, whose ears perked up from where she was once more dangling upside down from the ceiling, "A Pirate? You mean...like Rita?"

"Probably," Joan yawned as she stretched, revealing the handsome profile of her body from beneath the gauzy material that comprised her negligée, "Man...I am not up for this...Mom and me can barely even talk without snarling out our words, and now I've gotta go bail her out of some mess she's gone and got herself into...go figure."

"I know," Lila smiled, "It almost reverses the normal course of nature, right?"

"I'd bring you, Honey, but...well...no sense alienating Mom any worse than she is by rubbing her nose in it," Joan sighed, "You understand, right?"

"Of course I understand," Lila said as she stepped into easy reach of her girlfriend, the wrapped her arms around her waist, "But that doesn't mean I like it. Sooner or later she'd going to have to get used to the fact that I'm a part of your life now...just as you're a part of me...in all the ways that really matter."

"Ah..." the self-professed "Bad Girl" of herodom found herself at a loss for words as she looked into the magnetic reddish-brown eyes of her magnetically gifted live-in love interest. Off in one corner of the ceiling Claudia gave a snicker of approval, which earned a glare from both Joan and Lila.

"I'll be back as soon as I'm able," Joan said, "I just need to sober up and take a shower, then wing my way to the other side of the planet. Mom better be in trouble when I get there or I'll really have something to snarl about."

"Are you sure you don't want backup?" asked Colt, who normally was quite vexed with Joan Wayne, but whose militant sensibilities rebelled at the thought of abandoning a teammate, "'Veil or Tara are bound to be back by morning, and we can get the Fem Jet ready in time to put out the all-points signal to Dusty and Syn..."

"Hey, no sense in making this a group thing," Joan replied, "It's just my Mom we're talking about...and she's one of the toughest ladies on the planet. Hell, she's even tougher than me, so what kind of trouble could she get herself into? Besides, I can get there faster by myself, and I don't need a Jet to get there."

"Suit yourself," said Claudia, who went back to her reading (said "reading" consisting of holding up the illustrations to the light and studying them at odd angles while marveling at the way the drawn girls made use of their flexible bodies).

"Hey Cat," Joan sniffed, "Go play Tomb Raider, and I don't mean the video game either. You'd look pretty funny squashed under one of those rolling boulders."

The hirsute heroine just gave her a one-finger response to that bating commentary, even as Colt nodded her head in resignation and said, "I'll go heat up the pot of coffee..."

Continued.

Comments/Criticisms/Alternate Comic Lines: shadowmane

Yes, things are starting to move to a low boil as the crew crosses the equator, but as things heat up on the Hentai front, is the rescue that is being mounted going to be boom or a bustline? Can Alison and Beatrice mount a rescue of Martha and the others from Lao's amorous clutches, or is this a case of a bridge too farscape? Be with us next time for: "The Great Escapade," or "Gloom and Doom when Things Go Boom in Beiko's Lab!" Be there!

X

If you wish to check out my other works, Please check out my Fanfiction webpage at: . All related chapters of this series can be found there along with my other works.  
/pre 


	10. Chapter 10

preDNabikiTHCh10

Nabiki 1/2

"A Very Scary Thought!"

THE HONEYMOON HENTAI CHAPTERS!

By Jim Robert Bader

(Inspired by the works of Rumiko Takahashi Others,  
with a nod to Bill Black, Siegal and Shuster, and various other talents...)

Part Eleven.

HENTAI ALERT-YOU ARE ENTERING THE LEMON-LIME ZONE,  
WHERE NORMAL STANDARDS OF INTERPERSONAL RELATIONS DO NOT APPLY! PROCEED NO FURTHER UNLESS YOU CAN ENJOY A FANFIC THAT DELVES INTO EXTREME NAUGHTINESS, WITH WANTON EXAMPLES OF PERVERSITY AND DEPRAVITY THAT WOULD LIKELY BE USED AS A BAD EXAMPLE IN A CONGRESSIONAL COMMITTEE! THIS IS THE FIC YOUR MOTHER WARNED YOU ABOUT, SO ABANDON ALL GOOD TASTE YE YOU ENTER BEYOND THIS POINT! YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED!

"Are you sure about this, Ranchan?" Ukyo asked nervously, "You won't let us talk you out of it, or..."

"Afraid not, Ucchan," Ranma replied as he tore some silken sheets into wide strips that he could use to fashion a makeshift loin-cloth, "Nabiki's been gone way too long, and I don't for a minute believe the captain when she says that's being treated well for her condition. I'm going out there to find her, and this time I won't let myself be distracted by anything."

"You sure about that?" Perfume asked mildly, "The last time you stepped out that door you barely got three paces before one of those Undines nailed you and sucked your cock for all it was worth."

"Aiyaa," Shampoo agreed, "Ranma very formid-formid...is good fighter, but Water girls who serve cousin Lao no fight fairly. Is all can do to just hold on for ride and be ridden like mountain pony..."

"Hah, they won't even see me leave this time," Ranma said, finishing the touches to restore what dignity he could to his person by hiding the one distinguishing male feature that made him a marked man in the center of Lao's harem, "Don't forget, you're talking to the Senken Master, and that means I know how to slip right by those guards without being detected."

"Oh yeah," Ukyo smiled, "That's right...the Umisenken...that invisibility trick of yours would sure come in handy at a time like this."

"But that's only if you can keep yourself calm and not react to anything you see or hear going on around you, Saoto-ah-husband," Perfume reminded, "The Umisenken won't work if you can't erase all trace of yourself, or your concentration slips at the wrong moment..."

"Don't worry," Ranma assured the trio of naked girls who comprised three quarters of his own peculiar "harem," "I got that problem covered. After all, we've been staying here for over a day now, which means that I've pretty much seen everything that goes on in this place, and I won't be shocked by stuff, especially since...ahm...well...let's just say that I'll be able to concentrate just fine and keep my mind on the business of finding Nabiki."

His wives eyed him dubiously, but little did they suspect the real reason Ranma felt so confident about being able to remain focused on business. After nearly forty hours of near-constant sex (interrupted only by sleeping, eating and the mad scramble to escape a sinking ship that had landed them in Lao's clutches in the first place) his male member was as limp as a cold bowl of ramen noodles, and he'd pretty much been drained of remaining semen by that felatio-loving Undine who had serviced him before, so-at least for a few more hours anyway-  
he was reasonably assured that his mind would not be on sex or evidence any sexual interest for the duration.

Shampoo was less than certain of this, having a healthier appreciation of her new husband's regenerative capacities, and the idea of allowing him to wander free on a ship that was literally full of hot and raunchy girls just eager and willing to "service" him was enough to make her want to protest his leaving. The fact that she still had Lylac to care for alone dissuaded her from standing by her man when she was certain that he would need defending. Ukyo was in much the same boat, having little Fragrance to look after, while Perfume did not seem inclined to abandon the side of her beloved wife. Besides, talking Ranma out of anything was almost as bad as trying to talk Nabiki out of something reckless, a losing prospect before one even started.

"Well, here goes," Ranma said as he finished tying his makeshift loin cloth into place, "Wish me luck and all that," and then he bowed his head and scrunched down his shoulders into a folded "Preying Mantis" stance, and with his eyes half lidded began concentrating on erasing all trace of himself from his surroundings. His wives looked on in amazement as Ranma became much harder to see, almost becoming translucent as the eye slid away from him, unwilling to focus in his direction. Satisfied by their looks that his technique was still effective, Ranma took his leave of the nubile trio and ventured out into the seraglio, failing to turn any heads (for once) in his passage.

Perfume stirred herself from her mild amazement at seeing Ranma confound even her heightened perceptions and said, "I'm going after him. Will you two be safe if I go, Airen, Cousin?"

"Sure thing, Sugar," Ukyo replied, "I was gonna suggest it myself...but...those Undines..."

"Don't worry about that," Perfume smiled as she picked up a glass of water from the counter, "I've already got it covered."

With that she poured the water over herself and reverted to cat mode, shrinking down to a kawaii, furry shape that had helped earn her the nick-name, "Sex Kitten." With a leap she was off scaling the nearest of the silken curtains that adorned the room and by leaps and bounds vaulted over the walled partition that separated their private room from the rest of the seraglio, scaling to the rafters whereupon she effectively vanished.

"Aiyaa," Shampoo said as she knelt down to pick up the fallen glass container, "Hope cousin know what she do. Can no fight effective in that form..."

"I think Per-chan knows exactly what she's doing, Sham-chan," Ukyo turned with an affectionate look to her lovely co-wife, "She can't really fend off the Undines in her human shape, especially without any of our weapons, but as a cat she can avoid being spotted and move about the ship a lot more freely than we can."

"Is true," Shampoo nodded, "So...what we do to keep busy now that babies take nap?"

"Why, Sugar," Ukyo purred sensuously, "You all don't need to be asking a question like that, do you?"

"Is good point," Shampoo leered back, and before you could say, "Once More into the Breach," the two of them hopped onto their silken bed and began mussing up the remaining sheets with lots of furious and fun activity that sprang from the lust that the two of them had discovered for one another.

Absent their respective Airen, Ukyo and Shampoo had learned to appreciate the similarities in their respective bodies that went beyond the mere fact that they both had recently delivered babies for their respective marital partners. Having at long last been granted the permission and the ability to do something about the smoldering ardor that had built up between them over the course of several months, they found that they fit perfectly well into each others arms with a snugness that made everything they did together feel like magic. Shampoo's larger breasts were still lactating even after four months of continuous breast-feeding, while Ukyo's (somewhat smaller) boobs had just begun to yield copious amounts of the sticky, semi-transparent fluid. As such it delighted Shampoo to be able to suckle someone else for a change, and-being how well she knew that a woman's breasts could ache from generating more milk than their babies could drink, she was determined to help relieve Ukyo of some of her "excess." This, of course, was with Ukyo's implicit and heartfelt approval, having also come to appreciate the flavor of Shampoo's own breast milk, and the delight they indulged in sharing milk together made the two young mothers feel that much closer as lover, co-wives and oathbound sisters.

In a way it felt as though they had been making love to each other for a long time rather than the mere day-plus since they had started out on this Honeymoon that had turned into an adventure in Hentai Heaven, and when they twined their legs together, grinding brown pelvis a against neatly trimmed purple bush, their bodies in sinuous entanglement, like two otters in heat with their breast-mounds meshing against one another, it was a wonder that their sheets did not catch fire. They burned with a lust that needed to be shared, and having each the other woman to freely "play" upon to their hearts content made everything they did together an act of love and sensuous contentment.

Looking on the observing Undines were amused at seeing the two human girls once more going at it with real heat. It delighted these elemental servants of Lao to no end to learn how flexible and open were these new additions to the harem, and how accommodating they could be when provided with the right amount of coital "stimulation." It felt both natural and right that these talented young people should be co-joined in marital bliss, and the longer the two went at it the more their souls seemed to be sparking off one another as their spirits gradually achieved a kind of mutual synchronization.

Of course the Undines also dutifully reported to their Mistress the activities of both Ranma and Perfume, which their captain picked up even while in the midst of some rather vigorous activity of her own. Several levels up and away from the harem proper, Lao hardly broke stride as she maintained her pelvic motions, continuing to drive her double-dong strap-on-vibrating harness in and out of the loins of a grunting and groaning Martha, who was poised in the classic "Doggy" position with her knees spread wide and her face propped up in a restraining harness.

"I see," Lao mused as she continued to hump her rubbery "cock" into Martha with the steady, relentless force of a piston, "So, Saotome has decided to make his move, eh? Hardly unexpected..."

"Eh?" Martha gasped, "What's that?"

"Oh, nothing, my sweet," Lao smiled as she patted Martha's firm bottom, "Nothing to interfere with me ravishing you until you break down and acknowledge me as your true and rightful Mistress."

"Yes Master," Martha half-playfully teased, delighted to note that Lao was continuing to ream her into sweet and delightful bliss. She had thought that she had heard the pirate captain name someone else besides her, which would have been...most annoying...but just so long as the Hentai continued to probe her like THAT, then she would abide her helpless condition, hands still cuffed behind her back even as her gold manacles continued to drain away her excess super-energy, leaving her-well...not so much as weak as a kitten as maybe a tame lioness-but it was just the same quite enjoyable, and she felt no great urgency to be let loose from the harness any time shortly.

Lao was amazed at the resilience and energy of her comely new charge, finding this Martha to be a wealth of pleasurable surprises the more that the Slaver played with her body and learned the subtle mysteries of what it took to bring her off in a series of hot, sweaty orgasms. Martha Kent was proving to be even more of a closet case than she would have imagined, and it was just too much fun to interrupt now, even given that Saotome Ranma was loose and most likely on the warpath.

She mentally relayed orders to her Undines to maintain a lookout for Ranma, but opted to take a "wait-and-see-what-he-does-for-now" approach to the whole matter. Of slightly less concern was what her adopted cousin would do in Neko form. It would be a mistake to underestimate the Enforcer, even if-at the moment-she was a small and playful kitten.

(Ah well), she mused, (Nothing to be done about it at the moment. Let's see what young Saotome will do first before we clip his wings and return him to his gilded cage...provided my people can find him. That Umisenken of his is quite...intriguing...)

Of course, had she actually seen where Ranma was headed at that moment, she might have been considerably less sanguine about the whole matter, but the truth is that she did not and so did not "see" Ranma ease himself out of the seraglio, not headed towards Nabiki (on this ship everyone who did not know the lay of the landscape was as helpless as a Hibiki) but rather to another area that was used for a far more domestic purpose...

What effectively amounted to the Day Care center attached to the regular harem...

Ranma was actually shivering as he at lest escaped from what he had thought was the seraglio of the ship, having tested his thesis about being too "drained" to be distracted by the sexual antics of Lao's women and found the concept somewhat...wanting. Instead of being "too pooped to pop," his treasonous man-  
meat was threatening to burst forth from the makeshift containment that had alone kept it in the whole time he passed by one debaucherous sight right after another.

Even now he could still see them in his mind, the writhing bodies, the probing of orifices, Undines plying their subtle bodies to overwhelm and contain a girl to "cleanse" her of impurities so that she could continue to screw her nearest partners without abandon. Age was impossible to determine in such a place, by these women were all young and hardy and in the prime of physical condition without an ounce of fat that did not belong there, and with faces that ran the entire spectrum of loveliness from the fairly attractive to the outright breathtakingly gorgeous.

And EVERY one of them was a potential danger to Ranma's powers of concentration, just as he knew that the vast majority of them were "closet Heteros" just waiting to pounce on the first man to brave their stronghold. It was like being a tasty male deer treading softly through the midst of a pack of starving lionesses, and the effect would likely be much the same if he were discovered there rather than constantly putting out, "Don't Notice Me" vibrations. To slip his guard at such a moment would be to invite himself being at the bottom of a near dog-pile, and it was not just Lao's concubines who could pose him a problem...more than a few of the "loyal" members of the crew were obviously indulging in one of the perks of the job by taking their liberty-time as "part-  
time" Harem Slaves (he knew they were crewmates, having watched them in other capacities, some even venturing above deck).

Before learning that he was to be married to four very "flexible" women-heck, even before he knew Nabiki-Ranma might once have subscribed to the common male myth that Lesbianism was just a fetish indulged by a few confused women who somehow took a near-masculine appreciation of their own sex, and that all they needed was a male cock to "cure" them of their "perversity." He had long since abandoned any notion that there was anything "weird" or "unnatural" about two women making love, which he had thought-for a time-made him pretty much "enlightened" for a modern-aged guy. Now he knew beyond question how wrong-  
headed and naïve he had been to think that two women together would have a very limited sex life! These women not only did not much suffer privation from being without men (though they were happy to "switch-hit" when the opportunity was presented) but they knew a thousand different ways of bringing each other off with great proficiency, and some of the methods they used were of the sort that-  
-quite frankly-left him mind-boggled.

At the same time he was mentally taking notes, cataloguing and storing away this new information so that he might eventually incorporate these techniques to his own budding lore as a Sexual Master of the Kamasenken. It was the only way to maintain something like an objective state of mind while wandering literally into a land where "Men Dared Not Venture," and the minute he allowed himself to react to what he was witnessing, his cover would be blown and his Umisenken aura would be dissipated. Losing his invisibility shield in the midst of these certified "ball-breakers" was a fate not to be relished, and so he kept a level mindset and progressed beyond the seraglio, only daring to breathe when he believed himself to be out of immediate danger.

He panted hard as he fought to regain control. This was no time to be playing voyeur...he had a job to do, and Nabiki was counting on him. Coming to her rescue (for a change) was a far more appealing prospect than the other way around, and so long as there was a chance of finding her hale, whole and hearty (and never mind what she might otherwise be doing, or who with-DOWN BOY!) then he had to hold it all together, even if "holding" it was the thing he most wanted to do at the very moment!

He looked around at his new surroundings and found that he was in a different chamber, one that appeared to be an auditorium or common room of some sort. There were tall wooden columns that were carved to resemble marble, and a throne-like chair at one end, which itself suggested something more imperial minded. Could Lao envision herself as a Mandarin holding court among her people? Maybe this was where they had special parties and showed film clips from various home movies...maybe even a slide-show on the far wall (could Lao even resort to that level of torture, he wondered?). At the moment, though, it was somewhat darkened by muted lighting, giving it an eerie cast, and one not at all to his liking.

And then Ranma sensed another presence, realizing that he was not alone, that there was someone else in the chamber...someone sitting beneath one of the columns, aimlessly tossing an object up in the air and catching it again. Ranma wondered if she were one of the slave girls, but then noticed how small the darkened form was and took a moment to assure himself that it was indeed a small girl, maybe no more than nine or ten years old by appearance.

Even as he approached to get a better look at this young girl, the child paused in what she was doing to glance his way and ask, "Who's there?"

"Ah..." Ranma was so surprised at being discovered that he lost what was left of his Senken protection, which helped him decide to "tough it out" by pretending nonchalance as he replied, "Who wants to know?"

The girl scrambled to get to her feet, giving Ranma a full look at her, though she was only dimly reminiscent of the young child he had caught a glimpse of the first time her and the others had been on Lao's ship. The blue hair was a definite give-way, and he could even see something of a family resemblance.

"What do you want?" she asked belligerently.

Ranma raised his hands in a disarming manner and said, "I don't want any trouble, and I don't want to hurt you, so back off kid. I'm just...um...looking for the furo..."

"So why don't you ask an Undine to take care of you?" the girl frowned suspiciously, "You're that guy they brought in, one of the outsiders who want to hurt my momma."

"Kid," Ranma said sincerely, "I don't want to even have anything to do with your mom, but she's the one who grabbed us, not the other way around, remember?"

"Stop calling me a kid!" the young girl responded, "I'm not a kid, I'm almost eleven! And besides...you're not even supposed to be here..."

"Ah...well..." Ranma wondered how to proceed from this point, but it was not exactly the sort of thing that got covered in his martial arts training, "...What is this place anyway? Looks...kind of like a throne room..."

"It is," the young girl replied, "It belonged to Han Solo, the original owner. He built it to resemble a Mongol palace from the pre-Han era...which is kinda funny, since the Mongols never really lived inside of buildings...they had huts on wheels, or that's what Momma tells me..."

"Well, your Mom probably knows her history," Ranma conceded, adding in a subtle undertone, "Kami knows every Amazon I've run into sure can give you an earload on the subject..."

He waited in half trepidation for someone to upbraid him on that, but instead the youth-Breeze, he remembered belatedly-just heaved a sigh and said, "I've never seen a hut on wheels...I've never been anywhere except the POJ. The only wheels I know is on the chariots that Mom likes to ride in. I've seen rickshaws from when we pull in port, but Mom doesn't want me to go on shore. What's it like to live on land?"

"Uh..." Ranma had almost forgotten how a child's mind could flit from one subject to another, or change moods abruptly without warning, and this was obviously a very intelligent child, for all that his experiences appeared to be...surprisingly limited, "Well...I'm not quite sure how to answer that..."

"I mean...what's it like to live where everything stands still?" Breeze asked, "I hear from some of the women that dry land stays in one place, only I don't know what that means myself..."

"I guess maybe they mean...because a ship's deck is always moving," Ranma hazarded.

"You think so?" Breeze frowned a moment then said, "I guess I wouldn't notice. I guess maybe I'm used to it, like the way the earth is supposed to be a round ball that's spinning through space, but we never feel it spinning...is that right?"

"I...guess," Ranma relaxed somewhat, "You're Breeze, right? I'm Saotome Ranma."

"I know who you are," the young girl said, "Momma talks about you all the time, and the others. She says I was born on land...before we came to live on the POJ, but I don't really remember. She says you're one of the best fighters of your generation, tough enough to beat both of her cousins, so I guess you're pretty good...not that I'm afraid of you. I'm a pretty good fighter myself..."

"I'll just bet you are," Ranma said, "Your Mom's one of the toughest opponents I've ever gone up against."

"Want to see how good I am?" the blue haired girl asked, tossing her ball and baseball mitt to one side, "I'll fight you to show you what I can do."

"In a minute, okay?" Ranma asked, staring at the glove and mitt, "You play baseball?"

"One of the girls taught us how to play," Breeze said, "She says it's a popular sport in your country of Japan. We use this room for playing in, it's just big enough to put in a diamond, and sometimes Momma lets me play left field..."

"Left field, huh?" Ranma smiled, "I'm usually either the first baseman or the pitcher."

"Oh yeah?" Breeze asked, "Can you throw a strike?"

"Are you kidding?" Ranma puffed up with pride, "I can curve a slider in over the plate faster than you can blink, short stuff."

"I'd like to see that," Breeze smiled, then sighed, "Not enough people around here want to play, and everybody's too busy right now. I asked some of the ladies I normally play with but they tell me Momma's got some project that she's working on, or something, so I have to wait until the end of the week, when it's going to be finished."

"A project, huh?" Ranma asked, "You know what it is?"

"That's just it," Breeze pouted, "Nobody will tell me. All they say is, 'Wait until you're older,' which is the same stuff they say about the sex stuff...but how am I supposed to learn about that if nobody will teach me?"

"Are you sure you're ready to learn?" Ranma asked, "I'm a lot older than you and I'm still learning the basics."

"Well, you've got four women in your harem, so you must be doing something right," Breeze reasoned, "Mind you, Momma's got twenty-three girlfriends, not counting the crew and the undines, and she keeps them pretty busy with stuff, so you're gonna have to work hard if you want to beat her."

"Twenty three women," Ranma noted dryly, just thinking of how hard it was to satisfy the four he already had, "Yeah...terrific..."

"So...do you wanna fight, or play?" Breeze asked, "All the same to me either way. I can get a baseball bat if you want to play baseball."

"Er..." Ranma considered declining the offer, but since that would mean tipping his hand and possibly risking having Breeze sound the warning cry that would likely bring every Undine on the ship down on his tail (a gang-bang scene he DID NOT look forward to!), and as the alternative to that was knocking the child out (he shuddered at the very thought of hurting a child, even incidentally), he decided to buy himself some time and said, "All right...you're on...but only for a few minutes. I've...um...gotta go find Nabiki when this is over..."

"That's cool with me," Breeze cheered up, already moving to retrieve a bat, which-oddly enough-turned out to be propped up next to the throne, "I'll explain the rules on how we do it in here...you got a name for your team?"

"A name?" Ranma blinked.

"Yeah," Breeze said, "We like to play by teams even when it's one-on-one. Momma says it teaches us about unity and teamwork. The guys I normally play with call ourselves the Concubines. How about you?"

"Er...the Posse?" Ranma suggested.

"That works," Breeze nodded, "Okay, I'm Home team, you're Visitors, it's top of the first inning with all of the bases clear. Now, you want to pitch? I'll hit whatever you throw at me."

"Heh, piece of cake," Ranma replied as he accepted the ball and the mitt, then tossed it experimentally a few times to get a good feel for the balance of the round-laced spheroid, deciding that the matter with Nabiki could wait just a bit, and he was sure that she would understand no matter whatever it was that she was up to at that moment, it really could not be so urgent as making a child happy...now could it...?

At that precise moment Nabiki was deciding which thing she would most rather do when she got loose from her rope prison...Kill Lao, Kill Ranma, Rape both Lao and Ranma, or just take it out on the first sentient thing that she ran into, Man, Woman or Undine?

Waiting around feeling increasingly hot and horny will do that to you, play upon your moods like nothing else in creation, causing you to slowly and gradually lose focus on the world around you until all that matters is that you feel like you need nothing so much as to relieve your aching pussy! Having a catheter shoved up your rear can do that to you...a different plug (she assumed) from the one used earlier in her crotch when the comedy team of Lotus and Blossom thought kindly enough to help relieve her aching bladder. Now she had OTHER needs that had to be attended, and all because Lao had put some kind of a hex on her that was keeping the Undine away, who were much more efficient at this sort of extraction!

Right at the moment it was Lotus and Blossom whom she was considering raping...those two clowns had come around a couple more times in the past several hours, each time to **play** a little with Nabiki's limp and helpless body, and one time even to let her down from her ropes, giving her a few moments in which to recover lost feeling in all of her limbs...then promptly tied her up again before she got enough feeling back to break their skulls in! Now she was dangling upside down facing up towards the ceiling with her hands and feet spread outward at all four corners, a "spreader bar" between her legs while her face was covered in a kind of gag-harness that was held up by a rope that kept her neck from drooping...which was considerate after a fashion.

The thing that was ticking her off was the way in which Lotus and Blossom had taken advantage of her helplessness each time they came by...the last time with Blossom putting her mouth between Nabiki's legs for a much-needed session of cunnalingus. Nabiki had almost welcomed being ravaged at that point, the fire in her loins having grown increasingly to a raging bonfire, but-just before she was to experience full climax-the damned cobalt-topped harridan had broken off and said, "Well, that's all for now...gotta save the rest for later, orders of the Mistress and all that..."

The same thing went for Lotus, who had paid her respects to each of Nabiki's breasts, especially her nipples! After a few minutes of teasing and fondling and generally kneading up both breasts like they were playdo, then suckling on Nabiki's nipples until they were has hard as round grapes, the pink haired trollop then wound a length of rope around both hardened breasts and bound them tight to Nabiki's body, then attached strings to a pair of clips and suspended her aching nipples to the ceiling, in all leaving Nabiki hanging there aroused, unsatisfied and damned HORNY!

She had been like that for an hour, and in that time her breasts had gotten reddish-purple, which meant that just enough circulation was getting through those knots to prevent them from going "bad," as in gangrenous. How this kind of bondage was supposed to be for her own good she had no idea whatsoever, only that the two Amazon treated it like it was a mere game, leaving in mention the fact that they had gone through the same thing themselves many times at the hands of their "Mistress." All Nabiki knew was that she had gone through quite enough of this treatment and wanted letting down in the worst way possible! She was not only ravenous for sex, she was thirsty and hungry as well, and not at all comforted by the joking remarks of those two jokers, who had playfully informed her that the only meal that she would be dining on for tonight would be the juices from their loins...and-the worst thing imaginable from her point of view-she was actually feeling hungry and thirsty enough to consider such a meal a delicacy! After all, it was-at least technically-a form of liquid protean...

Of course she would much rather have been dining on Shampoo's sweet nectars, both her loins and her breast-milk, though Ukyo and Perfume would do just as well in a pinch. Even better than that, she wanted a taste of Ranma's own juicy "sausage," but the way she was feeling right now, there was a good chance that she might bite it off and swallow it in one gulp! AND WHERE THE FUCK WAS HE? FOR ONCE SHE WOULDN'T MIND IF HE CAME RIDING TO HER RESCUE, AND THE BAKA GOES AND GETS...WELL...DISTRACTED?

Yes, that seemed about right...distracted, in fact...if she found out that he was dipping his candle in some other girl's wick right then and now, she really was going to bite it off! Her already fragile mood was slowly souring the longer she tried to hold out against temptation. She would not submit to these people, she would not give in to her own horniness, and-above all else-SHE WOULD NOT BEG FOR RELEASE OR FOR SATISFACTION! In fact-!

"Meow?"

It was amazing what a single word or sound could do to completely alter someone's mood and perspective. That single lightly voiced tone of feline inquiry caused her mind to rivet and go numb, and then her eyes swiveled to spy one corner of the rafters where-sure enough-she saw the face of a cat peering down at her...Perfume without a doubt, but still a CAT by her estimation!

Perfume felt mildly elated upon discovering Nabiki's scent amid so many others that inhabited this vessel. Her hunch had been right about the Undines not noticing her as she moved stealthily through the bowels of the ship in search of her missing co-wife, only to find Nabiki dangling like a piece of limp salmon, spread-eagled and hanging above the floor with her breasts tied up like knotted gifts. Of a certain she did not look comfortable with that object dangling from her rectum...a catheter, she believed they called it...something used to extract solid waste from the body by injecting one with water, then pumping it back out. Nasty.

Perfume then considered what to do about her discovery. They needed Nabiki freed, yet she was too far from the harem for the others to stage an effective rescue. Perfume might be able to move about in cat form with impunity, but not Ukyo and her cousin...and wherever Ranma was, he was bound to be in the middle of something, which meant that Perfume had to wrestle with this one for herself, and without the use of her axes!

If she could find hot water soon enough she could resume her human form and then untie Nabiki, but as she sat in the rafters contemplating what to do she saw Nabiki looking back at her with a look of naked panic. There was recognition there too, of course, but...

Perfume smiled kittenishly. She knew exactly what to do to get Nabiki out of her own mess...and it was so obvious she wondered that she had not thought of it immediately. Her senior co-wife might not enjoy the next few minutes, but...Perfume was certain that she would derive a fair measure of pleasurable satisfaction.

Thus-without any further preamble, she judged her angle and distance, then lightly leaped down onto Nabiki's naked stomach, feeling muscles contract involuntarily at the contact as Perfume pranced a bit to get a measure of her balance, then walked right up to look Nabiki in the eyes, framed between the twin peaks of her dark-rosy bosoms, flexing her claws a bit to add an extra element of tactile sensation.

She cleared her throat a bit, and then without preamble Perfume said, "Meow."

The result was as expected, causing an immediate shift in the entire psychological makeup of the hapless Tendo (or Saotome) girl. Like that Nabiki's mind shot from fear to panic to ultimate terror and right out again out the other side to madness. Perfume could feel the rise in Chi-levels as the battle aura of the Tendo girl flared up like a hot set of lighter-saturated coals, causing a tingle to flare over Perfume's fur as the fury of the Nekoken took over...the ultimate secret art of the Saotome Ryu.

Lao had arranged it so that the ropes would drain off small levels of Chi if Nabiki had tried to summon up her power for an effort at liberation, but nothing to compare with the intensity at which her energy levels soared at that precise moment, going from red-to-white hot in a matter of seconds as the word "CAT!" rang through Nabiki's mind like the mother of all clarion calls, a sense of danger drowning out all other awareness!

Perfume sensed it was a good time to dismount when she felt the nylon cords melting from the heat of a blast-furnace aura, and no sooner did her paws touch the deck then she hear Nabiki breaking loose from her bounds, instantly flaring to life as numb limbs were fed with ivory-hot Chi levels. With a snarl she tore loose her gag as though the straps were made of wet tissue paper, and she landed on the deck in a three-limb crouch with her forth arm cocked and ready to strike, a snarl turning her face into something bestial and inhuman.

Perfume had to admit that the effect was everything that she had expected, and even more, but standing only a meter away from a snarling co-wife did not seem like the most prudent course of action at the moment, so without further preamble on her own part she took off running. Nabiki, ignoring the plight of the many girls around her, saw the smaller cat taking off at a run and immediately followed, pulled along by instinct as much as any other drive, as though vaguely recognizing the smaller cat as someone she would like to play with, and play was exactly what she had in mind, feeling the urge to mate cross beyond any issues of gender and species.

Perfume had a sense that she had literally lit the fuse on a keg of powder, and now she had to find some way of putting the feline terror hot on her trail to some sort of good use. Fortunately for them both there were lots of potential targets worth using in a trice, and so she redoubled her speed to follow the trail of her nose, detecting the scent of a pair of special "morsels" who would be ideal targets upon which Nabiki could vent her wrath and feel good about it afterward.

The alternative, letting her catch up with Perfume, would only have been appealing if the Amazon could find a handy kettle of hot water...otherwise it was very likely that the next few moments would be excruciatingly painful, well beyond even what she was used to enduring on a near constant basis...

Ahead by several chambers, Lotus turned her head and said, "Eh...did you just hear something?"

"What do you mean?" Blossom looked at her partner, then followed the horrified expression that just then crossed Lotus's face.

Both Amazons turned together in time to see a figure of carnal nightmare come barreling right towards them with blood in her eyes and a snarl on her lips, and as one both of Lao's most faithful retainers cried out, "OH-SH-!"

Lao paused in the act of giving Martha her tenth orgasm of the evening to vocally declare, "Those idiots! Can't they do anything right?"

"What's wrong?" Martha asked, gasping and panting from near-breathless anticipation, and not wanting the other woman to bring a halt to their lovemaking...not at such a critical juncture.

Lao sighed, "Nothing really...just something I was prepared for but expected would happen at a somewhat later juncture. The timing really bites, but what can you do about that? I'm afraid I'm going to have to leave you now and go to the rescue of my two chief minions before they wind up as table scraps to a more voracious predator than any save myself."

"You have to leave?" Martha gasped, "NOW?"

"Now, now, my Sweet," Lao patted her affectionately, "You just wait right here and I'll be back...perhaps not right away, but soon enough, where we can pick up where we left off, and I'll try to make it up to you, honest."

"Well...if you have other duties..." Martha tried not to sound as disappointed as she clearly was.

"We'll spend more time getting to know one another later, I promise," Lao winked, "And I never forget a promise. Until then, be well."

With that she released Martha from the harness and setting her down on the bed, then left her to fend for herself as she made haste to race to the rescue of her minions, hoping she would not arrive too late, or that Nabiki had not been driven so far past the edge of sanity that she vented all of her outrage upon the hapless Lotus and Blossom, who were guilty of nothing so much as doing the bidding of their Mistress.

It was just the sort of thing that could make any Slaver's already eventful day a little more interesting...

"Are you sure these are the coordinates?"

"Yes I'm sure, Aiko-chan," Beatrice replied, already suited up in her Akagiyama battle armor and at the controls of their plane-like cockpit, "I've checked with the global tracking system and we are definitely in the area that my Nanoprobes indicated would be the place. I'm going to try triangulating our measurements to home in on them within a one hundred square kilometer grid, and once we have it narrowed down that close we should be able to find them using more conventional methods."

"All right," Alison balled a fist, "And once we know where Lao's ship is, then we can find out what happened to Oneechan and the others. Of course we're going to need your help to find our way once we get there. You gonna be up to it, Kuno-san?"

"But of course," Kodachi replied, "I spent well over a month on board that ship and I know full well the layout, as does Kei-chan, who lived there much, much longer. Isn't that right, my sweet Kei-chan?"

Keiko did not, of course, reply, owing largely to the ball gag that was presently filling her mouth, nor did she move around a lot as she was bound up like a package kept in storage with the others.

"Are you sure she's comfortable back there?" Alison asked for what had to be the fifth straight time since leaving Japan, "I know you guys are into bondage and all that, but..."

"Oh, they'll be quite all right, and they take up much less space this way," Kodachi smiled, "Didn't you say that there was limited cargo space in your mother's invisible plane? Well...this way we won't need to be too concerned about squirming around and bothering you about whether or not we have arrived at our destination, yes?"

Alison slumped in her chair, even as Beatrice smiled at her and said, "Well, you wanted to come along, and so did they, and since this plane is basically designed as a two-seater..."

"Yeah," Alison grumbled, "A plane designed by an Amazon genius named Paula. I can't believe I've actually let you talk me into hot-wiring the thing and taking it from its hanger. Mom and Dad don't even know that I know the combination to their secret underground hideout..."

"We did leave a note to explain that it is an emergency, to say nothing of it being a matter of life and death," Kodachi reminded them, "And I was given to understand that the process of commandeering this craft was a great deal more sophisticated than merely splintering two wires together in the ignition."

"That is certainly an understatement," Beatrice replied, "This machine is an amazing marvel representing principles of science light years ahead of conventional aircraft. It is commanded as much by thought as it is by these controls that I am using...it took me all of four-point-three minutes just to figure out how it works, and slightly less than half that again to mentally master the recognition code it uses in order to verify the qualifications of the pilot."

"Indeed," Kodachi agreed, "It is surely a wondrous hybrid of science and magic, employing principles of levitation and anti-gravity that-along with inertial control and astrometric guidance-propels this craft forward by riding the Earth's electromagnetic currents...and composed of a material that is totally invisible to the unaided eye...indeed, truly an engineering marvel beyond compare..."

"Great, just great," Alison rolled her eyes, "I would be stuck having to share the cabin with the two of you brain-junkies while all the normal-speaking people are tied up in back. I should have brought my Walkman...at least then I'd have some in-flight music..."

"Methinks, love of my heart, that thou dost protest too much," Beatrice smirked, "You are a lot more intelligent than you tend to let on, and I-for one-know better than to take your act at face value."

"Hmph," Alison frowned, "Well, I suppose I ought to expect you both to be impressed with Aunt Paula's handwork. I've only met her a couple of times myself...she came to Paradise Island many years ago as a refuge from what they call 'Man's World,' a genius who wasn't taken serious because of her sex, but with the backing of my grandmother, Queen Hippolyta, she became their chief scientist and resident mad scientist, inventor of the Purple Ray and a bunch of other stuff that scientists here haven't even come close to inventing. That's why the Amazons went from a permanently Bronze Aged culture to having their own air force, not that they can afford to make too many of these things...just enough to replace the ones that Mom keeps smashing in the course of her missions."

"Then we will endeavor to bring this one back in as intact a condition as when we borrowed it," Beatrice replied, "It will, of course, depend on Madam Lao and whatever schemes she plans in regards to our missing colleagues."

"I am certain that the Mistress will understand our concerns and do her best to alleviate them," Kodachi said in reassuring tones, "And that with our help we will be able to bring matters to a satisfactory conclusion without needing to resort to any unpleasantness."

"I sure hope you're right about that," Alison said, "I just wish we had a bit more muscle on our side to even things out...and where the heck is Joan anyway? She was supposed to meet us here..."

"She has," Beatrice replied.

"Huh?" Alison blinked, "What do you mean?"

"Look over there," the genius nodded as their invisible plane banked slightly to the left, and-sure enough-off to their right was a form hovering still in the air directly before them...a figure who remained where she was floating with arms folded over an amble chest, just hanging there as if she had been waiting there for hours.

Beatrice brought their plane (actually a Jet, for those who are technical about their terms) to a near vertical stall, using the planes energy thrusters to bring their momentum down to virtually nothing, and then pulled up alongside the figure, who watched them pull up as though the Jet were a car and she were merely a street walker. Of a certain that description would have been fitting for the way that she was dressed, for though she was six feet tall and perfectly proportioned, she was a far cry from a typical Amazon, or even a conventionally dressed superhero...in fact, she was as far from conventional as one could get and still distinguish her from someone of an even less savory profession.

Although she appeared to be blonde, there were roots around her hair that suggested it had been dyed in some manner, and the fact that some parts of her hair were streaked with pink added further credence to that observation. It was also styled in a wavy hair fashion that partially covered the right half of her face, even as her right eye was covered in a black star tattoo, adding something almost tribal to her appearance. Her costume (for such that it was) had cut outs in places that were barely code-approved and consisted of flaring spiked shoulder pads and thigh-high jack-boots, the color scheme being red, white and dark navy blue on the whole, along with a chain that was slung over one hip, and in her nose there was a ring, lending further credence to her somewhat ultra-  
modern barbaric appearance.

That she was obviously levitating on her own power was plain to anyone who could see that she was not wearing enough to conceal a levitation device, and her glare as much as dared you to risk your life by asking. Her scowl gave her an even more intimidating presence, even though she took no action and merely watched as Beatrice retracted cockpit hatch in order to converse with the levitating woman.

"{You are, I take it, Joan Wayne, otherwise known as Rad?}" Beatrice asked in flawless English.

"{Yeah,}" the other woman replied, "{You the frail on the phone who claims she knocked up my Aunt?}"

"{The same,}" Beatrice replied, but before she could go further Alison spoke up, her English somewhat more shaky and heavily accented.

"{Joan-san...glad you could make it!}"

"{Hey, Ali-san,}" the one named Joan replied, nodding to the redhead, "{I'd ask how you were doing, but...I guess that's kind of self-evident, huh?}"

Alison patted her belly and said, "{Yeah, tell me about it.}"

"{So,}" Joan frowned again, "{What's this about Mom being taken by pirates?}"

"{We believe that she is close nearby,}" Beatrice replied, "{I am attempting to narrow down the signal that we have been tracing to this location. The ship is masked from normal detection by a field of dimensional inversion...}"

"{You mean magic, huh?}" Joan replied, "{I gotta buddy who knows her way around that stuff, and what she doesn't know about it ain't worth knowing.}"

"{Please, Joan-san,}" Alison said, "{Won't you help us find it? Your mom and some friends of ours are counting on us to find them...}"

"{I ain't saying I wanna help,}" Joan said indifferently, "{But if Mom got herself into another fix, then I might as well bail her out...so I can kick her ass instead of whoever it is that was stupid enough to take her hostage. Now...where are you guys looking?}"

Beatrice studied her dials and then removed one hand from the control to point in a general direction, "{That way...another ten kilometers...I am picking up a large surge of energy that is concentrated over that way...}"

"{Fine,}" the towering Joan unfolded her arms and turned about in mid-space, moving forward with rapid acceleration that left the invisible plane literally eating her dust.

"Charming," Beatrice remarked as she closed the hatch and studied the retreating form of the other woman.

"She's like that," Alison said, "Of course she wasn't always such a hard case...she's had a lot of...issues lately..."

"One would suspect that," Kodachi said with a look of ironic rue in her expression.

Beatrice started them up again and soon they were on the trail of the other woman, covering the distance rapidly until they located a curious cloud bank that was flowing a little too close over the water.

"That's it," Beatrice nodded, "That is where the signal is coming...weak though it is, I would bet my former allowance on that being our target."

"So that's that cloud that hides the ship, huh?" Alison sniffed, "Doesn't look like much from here..."

"Do not judge by appearances," Kodachi cautioned, "That is always a mistake when dealing with the Mistress."

"Sage words of caution," Beatrice agreed, "Too bad certain parties couldn't wait to hear them."

"What the...?" Alison blinked, "JOAN, YOU IDIOT! She's gonna try and take her on all by herself!"

"Indeed," Kodachi mused, "But is that not what you were expecting?"

"We had better get down there before matters get further out of hand," Beatrice remarked as she aimed the plane for the cloud, preparing to ride out the certain turbulence that they were likely to encounter, "Hold on...this could get bumpy."

"You're telling me with Joan involved?" Alison winced, "Oh, why couldn't it be Jade's number instead of hers? My green-haired cousin was never this impulsive!"

"Things are never entirely as we would wish them to be," Kodachi nodded sagely, "But on the whole, I do hope that the Mistress is ready for this. From the look of matters your niece is a dangerous lady when angered...but then again...so is the Mistress..."

Perfume lifted her head from where she crouched in concealment and watched as Nabiki snarled over the two cowering and badly mauled Amazons. Blossom and Lotus looked as though they had been tossed into a cement mixer, minus the cement, and the way Nabiki was pressing them to the flooring made it plain that both of Perfume's fellow countrymen were about to experience a ravishing that they would surely long remember.

Blossom was the one whose position was the least advantageous, pressed atop Lotus like the middle layer of a sandwich as Nabiki held her down with one hand and rubbed her crotch against the blue haired girl's upturned bottom. Lotus did not seem comfortable, even with her face buried in the space between her companion's ample bosoms, the motions of Nabiki's pelvic thrusts grinding Blossom's chest against Lotus's head, and not in such a way that either woman could well appreciate.

Of course the alternative to doing what Nabiki demanded was likely to be a lot worse, as they had already discovered from having only mounted a token of resistance. Nabiki's eyes were feral and inhuman, and it was plain that she would brook no denial in sating her anger and lust against her former tormentors, asserting her dominance like a true pack Alpha even though she had nothing between her legs that would have made the mounting seem more...official. Only in that respect did her moves fall short of actual rape, and yet given what she had just gone through for the past few hours, Perfume could hardly have blamed her for her animalistic behavior.

But then Perfume felt a hand fall around her neck and a familiar voice said, "So you're the cause of all this, young lady. I might have expected this."

Too late Perfume recognized her danger as she was hauled out of her cubbyhole by the scruff of her neck, the grip of the Pirate Queen effectively paralyzing her as Lao held her up for closer examination, sniffing in a disapproving manner before saying, "Well, what you sow you reap, and what a happy coincidence that you should have led Nabiki into this particular corridor of all the decks and levels of my ship."

Perfume would have struggled and possibly even scratched her way to freedom, but the pain of being gripped this way held her immobile as Lao turned and-  
momentarily ignoring the plight of her two henchwomen-carried the Neko-form of the Amazon Enforcer to a particular doorway that she then forced open with one hand. The heavy wood slid to the side, exposing a dark chamber that was barely illuminated by the ever-present ship lichen. Lao then conjured up a ball of water and heated it to the appropriate temperature before dousing it over the cat, then tossing the transformed Perfume into the room and sliding the door back into place behind her.

"Now then," Lao smiled, "It think I've let Lotus and Blossom suffer enough for their carelessness. As clumsy as they are, they are still my friends, and friends must look out for one another, eh what?"

The sound of her voice distracted Nabiki from consummating her vengeance and she turned with an inhuman snarl as she caught sight of her true quarry. Lao just held her ground and waved at her, then pleasantly chimed out, "Here kitty-kitty-  
kitty! Come and get me if you want me!"

Nabiki-neko needed no further invitation, shoving Blossom rudely to the ground and turning at once to spring with an incredibly powerful bound towards her ultimate tormentor. Lao smiled as she waited for the Nekoken-possessed girl to come within arms reach then moved with great speed to shove the door behind her to one side, side-stepping a lunge as Nabiki sailed right past her and into the darkened chamber where an astonished Perfume looked up with rounded eyes, seeing her co-wife about to collide with her entirely naked body.

Lao slammed the doorway back into place and hastily barred it with a heavy wooden beam, then listened to the sounds of a commotion taking place within the reinforced and heavily padded chamber as Perfume attempted to calm down a ravenous Nabiki. There was much yelping and howling for several minutes, and then a sudden calm settled over the room as matters resolved themselves with a finality that was almost chilling.

Lotus pried herself out from underneath a semi-stunned Blossom and said, "My lady...is she...?"

"Fortunately for my cousin," Lao nodded, "Nabiki is not so far gone into her berserker state that she fails to recognize a familiar scent. A good thing I prepared this chamber in advance for just such an emergency or things might have been...more difficult for all concerned parties."

"You mean...?" Blossom asked.

"That they should be a bit busy in there for the next hour or so," Lao replied, "I believe I will wait a bit before disturbing them...no sense in riling Nabiki any further up than she is already. Now, as for you two..."

Lotus and Blossom hung their heads in shame, the former saying, "We have failed you lady, we deserve to be punished..."

"I believe that you already have been," Lao replied, "And with sufficient gravity that I am certain you will not soon forget the lesson. Never turn your back on a Tendo...they are a surprising lot and should never be underestimated. Consider the same thing true of Saotome and my cousins. I warned you that there was a danger of Nabiki freeing herself prematurely, but now you should appreciate this better the next time you tie her up and leave her hanging."

"Mistress," Blossom said, "You are more merciful than we deserve..."

"I know," Lao replied, "But if I punished you for every time you make a mistake I would never get any work done around here. I value you too much to lose you to carelessness, so be mindful not to lower your price by getting yourselves too damaged."

Both of her loyal retainers were about to bow in respect of her mercy when a sudden crashing noise was heard on one of the upper decks. Lotus whirled around and said, "What the heck was that?"

"It sounded like an explosion," Blossom reasoned.

"No," Lao said with a look of concern in her expression, "It's worse...MUCH worse! Get to the bridge and hold her steady on course. I'll deal with this emergency by myself."

The two sidekicks knew better than to argue with their Mistress and so headed off towards the stairwell. Lao knew that it would take too much time to reach the upper decks by going the conventional route, so she called up one of her Undine servitors and had her minion form a dimensional portal.

With one leap she exited from the portal conjured up by another servant, just in time to see her loyal cadre of Mercenary Marines fighting a helpless defensive battle against a single woman who shrugged off their best assaults as though she found their very attempts to be personally insulting.

"{GUNS?}" she snarled in colloquial English, "{You think you can take me out with your pop-guns? Get away from me, you losers!}""

Lao did not have to ask who this was, her borrowed memories informed her that this was the formidable Joan Wayne, daughter of a half-Kryptonian and a Green Lantern, and that she was no casual stranger to dismiss in an off-handed manner.

"Why me?" she sighed, not bother to wait to hear a litany of her offenses to the heavens. Instead she raised her voice and called out, "ALL UNITS FALL BACK AND REGROUP! CEASE FIRE AT ONCE, THAT IS AN ORDER!"

So great was the conditioned obedience of her crew that her minions at once stopped wasting ammunition with small arms fire and instead moved away from the sight of a one-sided battle. Joan contemptfully tossed aside one mercenary who had come too near to her reach and oriented upon Lao, saying, "{Are you the fuck-nut who put the grab on my mother?}"

Even knowing full well that there would be pain in the answer, Lao faced her foe squarely and said, "{I am the Captain of this ship...my name is Lao Kahn...}"

"{Big whoop-dee-doo," the bleach blonde replied, and all at once she moved with a rush that was as superhuman as the force behind her fist. Even rolling with the punch Lao felt the blow to the roots of her intestines as she went slamming back through the wooden wall behind her and kept right on going until she hit the second wall, then the third, each time feeling worse for the travel.

Master that she was of hydrostatic shock, Lao felt her body reeling from the force of that single blow, immediately coming to the conclusion that trading blows with the other woman was not a very good option. Fortunately her minions did not wait for her instructions before throwing themselves in the path of the charging woman, hardening their bodies to form a wall-like consistency as Joan slammed into their mass and temporarily rebounded.

"No further, you!" one Undine cried.

"You shall not harm our Mistress!" declared a second.

"Not without going through us first!" promised a third.

"{What the fuck are you jabbering about?}" Joan snarled, clearly not understanding the language of the elementals, "{GET THE FUCK OUT OF MY WAY!}"

With that she slammed her fist into the mass of the elementals, hard enough to sent a shockwave that reverberated through their bodies and tore their semi-  
solid mass into so much loose water droplets. This barrier to her further progress removed, she stalked up towards Lao, who was only then just beginning to recover.

"{Still got your head attached to your neck, huh?}" Joan declared, "{Well, if you wanna keep it that way you'd better produce my mom and quick!}"

She seized Lao by the collar of her shirt and lifted her off the deck, raising her other fists to deliver a blow that was bound to be fatal, yet in spite of this Lao smiled at her and seemed unusually calm for some reason.

"{Far be it from me to separate a mother from her child,}" Lao said simply, "{And ordinarily I would be happy to accommodate your wishes, but...I don't negotiate from a position of weakness.}"

"{Your loss,}" Joan replied, her fist already rocketing forward, only to go right through the body of Lao, which rippled and shifted to form a solid shape that imprisoned said fist, "{W-Wha-at?}"

"{Like mother, like daughter,}" said a voice off to one side, "{I never would have expected that you would both fall for the exact same trick.}"

"{H-Hey!}" Joan tried to free her fist, only to find this particular Undine's grip was tenacious.

"{An amazing thing about the element of water,}" Lao remarked as she conjured up a plane of glass-like liquid with one hand and cradled it in one arm as though she were holding a violin, "{It is incompressible and yet can be hardened by simply polarizing its molecular structure to a hardness worthy of diamond. Another feature is that it produced an interesting array of sounds when you harden it...like this..."

And with that Lao conjured up a stone-like object, which she then began to rub against the flat sheet with the roughened surface, producing a sound that was at once both harsh and eerie and caused the very air to vibrate at the key of frequency similar to scraping your fingernails against a chalkboard...only much, MUCH louder!

The result was that Joan cried out in pain and with her free hand tried to block out the sounds from one eardrum, even as Lao played the sound again with slow and easy rhythm, vibrating the air with a nerve-jangling acoustic that would make whales turn and blanch for miles in all directions. For Joan it caused the mother of all hangovers and drove her to her knees, almost weeping for the pain she evidently suffered.

"{I am very sorry to do this to you, truly,}" Lao remarked as she continued to play the sound until Joan finally passed out, "{I must make apologies to your mother, but-as with her-I feel that I had no choice about the matter. You are much too dangerous to let roam about unencumbered...and I do owe you for nearly dislocating my jaw just now. You understand this, right? I thought so.}"

Joan did not reply, being already unconscious. Lao sighed and banished her water-conjurings, then knelt to examine her new "guest" to insure that she was not faking her condition. Satisfied that Joan Wayne would not be springing up and causing her immediate trouble (and giving her a nerve pinch just to insure she did remain unconscious, Lao lifted the woman into her arms and carried her off in the direction of the nearby stairwell...

"What happened?" Alison asked, "It looks almost quiet down there...if you overlook the big hole in the deck and all that other collateral damage I can see..."

"I am detecting some movement," Beatrice noted as they circled around the large wooden ship, "Mostly crew, doing what amounts to makeshift repair work, but no signs of an ongoing altercation."

"Could matters have been resolved this soon?" Kodachi said in disbelief, "Forgive me for jumping to conclusions, but the impression I had of your sister was that she was not the quiet sort who can be talked down all that easy."

"I don't believe this!" Alison exclaimed, "First Martha and now Joan? Just how powerful is this Lao character anyway?"

"I suspect that we are about to find out the answer to that question," Beatrice mused, "Because, unless I miss my guess, that figure standing astride the bow is none other than the elusive captain."

"It appears that she is...waving to us," Kodachi remarked, "I believe that we have been spotted."

"I concur," Beatrice said as she brought the plane around to a near-hover once again, "I do believe that she is bidding us to land...but the deck does not appear large enough to support a jet of this size..."

"Just wait for it," Kodachi mused, "You're about to see that our Mistress is prepared for every occasion."

"Your Mistress," Alison sniffed, "Not mine."

"Whatever," Kodachi smiled with a look of serene contentment...

"There they are, Mistress, as we reported," Lotus indicated the circling ship.

"About time they arrived," Lao mused, "And invisible plane...yes...that is about what I would have expected."

"Excuse me, Mistress?" Lotus blinked, "Do you mean to say that you expected them to show up here?"

"I knew sooner or later that they would be unable to resist coming to pay us a visit," Lao replied, "Have the crew deploy the helipad to receive them...that plane should just about fit on the raised platform. I want every courtesy of hospitality to be afforded to our guests. They are to be treated fairly and hot restrained in any way. Kodachi and Keiko-chan are with them, and we ought to greet them in the manner of a homecoming."

"Very good, Mistress," Lotus replied, "It will be exactly as you wish it. And...what of the other matter concerning Nabiki?"

"Let me worry about that one, old friend," Lao replied, "I must now play hostess once again, only I hope this visit will be more cordial than the last. I shall also have to inform Martha that her loved ones are here...and that may take a bit more explaining when I inform her that her daughter is presently in the company of the Kraken."

"I do hope she won't be too mindful or resentful, Mistress," Lotus replied.

"Me too," Lao agreed, "But...I'm getting the most curious sensations...I do believe that our dear Joan has been a very naughty girl and has been ingesting illegal substances that have messed up her constitution. Perhaps that would explain why she was so easy for me to take down...I dare say she could have put up quite a fight if she had been battling with all of her senses clear of internal rubbish."

"Children these days," Lotus nodded.

"Tell me about it," Lao smiled, then paused before gaining a somewhat distracted air, then saying, "I believe the other matter concerning Saotome can be postponed for a little while. Such an interesting fellow, and my Breeze seems to like him."

Lotus cocked an eyebrow at that but said nothing, knowing how lonely her adopted "Niece" had been of late, going through that "awkward" age when a young girl was on the verge of becoming a woman. That said girl had actually been born a man was, of course, a further complication, but such was the way things could be on the POJ, where the bizarre and unusual were the norm of everyday existence. Life was simpler when one allowed the Captain to weigh the great and heavy issues of existence...but even given that freedom from having to contemplate the deeper meanings of her life, Lotus still had times such as these to pause and reflect on the strangeness of their existence. How would such things that they took for granted be viewed by outsiders? How would she-the Lotus of ten years back-view the Lotus of today, who was very different from the young and impressionable girl that she had been when following her friends into voluntary exile.

Then she shook her head and dismissed such concerns, having duties to fulfill as she gave the orders that would be needed to set the landing pad into place. These visitors, two of them strangers, would be greeted with honor as though welcomed into the village of Joketsuzoku, and the Nyanchiczu knew how to present themselves as a proud and noble people. Let come what may, Lotus would continue to fulfill her duties as the trusted servant that she was, leaving it to her Mistress to decide what else would be their fate.

It was safer that way, not to mention allowed her to sleep better at nights, though whatever her Mistress had planned this time around was likely to get messy, in which case the sensible thing would be to go hunting for the nearest fox hole.

Of course, Lotus silently reminded herself, if she were a sensible person she'd had stayed in bed at home in China...

Continued.

Comments/Criticisms/Chippendales of Joketsuzoku: shadowmane

Lao plays the hostess while the Kraken chews the fat with Joan, and Martha has to make a fateful decision, while Nabiki and Perfume have a nice, friendly "discussion." Will Ranma hit it off with Breeze and become the next recreational counselor for the POJ, or will he strike out as a role model? Find out next time in: "Scoring at Home Plate," or "The Family ties that Bind and Gag!" Be there!

X

If you wish to check out my other works, Please check out my Fanfiction webpage at: . All related chapters of this series can be found there along with my other works.  
/pre 


	11. Chapter 11

preDNabikiTHCh11

Nabiki 1/2

"A Very Scary Thought!"

THE HONEYMOON HENTAI CHAPTERS!

By Jim Robert Bader

(Inspired by the works of Rumiko Takahashi Others,  
with character ideas created by Bill Black Marv Wolfman)

Part Eleven.

HENTAI ALERT-NOW ENTERING LEMON-LIME ZONE,  
WHERE BEHAVIOR MAY DEFY ZONING ORDINANCE AND RATE "SITE-BLOCKER" ID CODES AND/OR THE USE OF A CREDIT CARD. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY THE LORDS OF LAW AND CHAOS, MAY NOT BE SUITABLE FOR YOUNG PEOPLE AND THOSE WITH WEAK CONSTITUTIONS. DO NOT ATTEMPT THE POSITIONS DESCRIBED IN THIS FANFIC, THEY COULD LEAD TO SEVERE BACK PROBLEMS AND/OR NOSE HEMORAGING IN THOSE UNDER THE AGE OF INNOCENCE AND CONTENTMENT. YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED!

"Rad, you idiot, what have you gotten yourself into this time?"

Lila voiced those sentiments to herself as she hovered in the middle of a magnetically enclosed ball of life-preserving air, held in place by the power of her will as she stared down at the mother planet far below her, which was blissfully spinning on its axis while she fretted about her "High Maintenance Girlfriend" from an altitude of six hundred kilometers above the planetary surface. Being shielded against the extremes of temperature, radiation and the total lack of surrounding atmosphere, the self-described "Polaria" fumed impotently and wondered whether or not to take action to once again bail out her hotheaded lover.

Being a woman of inordinate beauty with a body that was "to die for" and a perfect set of the kind of "gravity defying boobs" that you only read about in comics, and dressed (to put it loosely) in the sort of costume (for lack of a better adjective) that looked as if it had been painted onto her near-perfect body, she was the sort of "wed-dream-fantasy-made-flesh" who could have had more than her fair pick of men, but had long ago given up on exploring relationships of that nature, having resolved comfortably the uncomfortable issue of her gender preferences after a failed attempt at a relationship with a boy named Impulse. She and Rad had sort-of "found each other" in the course of pursuing other affairs, and after much angsting and struggling over relationship issues, had finally resolved to share a life together, a life born of mutual suffering as much as genuine and heartfelt attraction.

And now-once again-Rad had gone off on her own to fight her personal demons while trying to reconcile her feelings about her mother, leaving Lila to wait until it was time for her to have to once again pick up the pieces. Rad had a lot of issues (as in A LOT) that came with the package, but Lila could more-or-  
less live with that...just as she could not and WOULD NOT live without Rad in her life! The tendency of her lover to get herself in deep over her head, almost as a habit, was getting to be a tedious routine, but Lila would never abandon the one person who made her feel special and wanted, no matter how wild and crazy she could get with Rad's admittedly self-destructive impulses. Having had parental issues of her own that would have kept an entire ward of Psychiatrists fully employed, Lila had some idea of what Rad was going through and why the love of her life had trouble even being merely civil with her mother.

Of course, Rad's mother was a stuck-up rich-bitch ex-superhero turned corporate shark, while Lila grew up not even knowing who her real father was...right up until the age of puberty, when her powers had kicked in with a vengeance. Learning that your dad was a world-class psychotic Supervillain with delusions of godhood did not exactly make for a heartwarming father-daughter reunion, but she had friends who had helped her through the crisis point, just as Lila was determined to be there for Rad whenever she needed her...which was looking to be pretty near imminent, judging by the way Rad's tracer signal had gone dead all of a sudden.

Lila was-it needs be said-a Mistress of Magnetism, able to harness the Earth's own electromagnetic field at will (rather like another high-class Metahuman-slash-Mutant that she could name, who also happened to be a rival with her father in the world-beating profession), an ability that she carried in her genes as her "natural" birthright. She could skim the currents that surrounded the planet and home in on a distinctive "field signal" with an accuracy that would put to shame the finest satellite equipment, so she reasoned that it would be a fairly easy matter to track Rad down and determine what type of mess she had gotten herself into THIS WEEK. When she found Rad-and whoever was currently threatening her safety-Lila intended to A.)-Kick Butt, and B.)-  
Kick Rad's Butt for leaving her to worry. No one had the right to mess with her best friend (and main squeeze) but Lila, and pity the poor Supervillain who made the mistake of getting in her way! Rad belonged to Lila and Lila alone, and while Lila was far from the sort of violent-tempered "hell-for-leather" kind of person that Rad was, she could improvise with the best of them when her lover was threatened.

That sentiment being a given, she directed her energy globe to bring her on a rapid glide that would shortly carry her out over the south pacific...

Martha stared at the mirror that was hanging over the bed, a mirror that caught and returned her own reflection. For some reason she had trouble recognizing the girl who was staring back at her with such a puzzled expression. That was her laying in a bed of silken sheets, as naked as the proverbial Jaybird but for the golden chains that bound her wrists and ankles, siphoning off the bioenergy that normally gave her superpowers. It was amazing to think that this was her, or-rather-the Martha that had been standing in her place for the past several hours, playing "love-slave" to a perverted lady pirate. She stared at that other person as if gazing upon a total stranger, and all the while wondering why it felt so..."right" to be that other person...and why she was not asserting herself and making more of a fuss about her captive status.

All right, so Lao was not all that unpleasant to be around, and Martha found that she rather liked the frank and easy style with which the slaver talked to her, not like an object bur more like a person, even while taking generous liberties with Martha. So Lao was an accomplished female lover, so she could make Martha's body sing like a soprano, so she had given her NINE CONSECUTIVE ORGASMS and only stopped shy of the TENTH because of some emergency concerning her ship and crew...so she was good in bed and made Martha feel...ALIVE for the first time in ages! So...was all of that a sufficient reason for Martha to behave as if she LIKED being bound up and treated like a fantasy sex object!

It was too much like something out of a bad bondage romance novel, but here she was playing the docile heroine in distress, allowing a self-admitted sociopath to work God-knew what kind of mischief on her, and she loving every minute of it as if this were the thing she desired most in all creation. She was a MBA with a Masters Graduate in Business, for Chrissakes! Independently wealthy with a slew of companies to her name, feared and respected among her peers in the industry, a certified Media Mogul who could make Presidents stand to attention with a phone call! And-GAWD-SHE WAS SO FRIGGING HORNY that she couldn't help wanting to touch herself DOWN THERE and feel herself all over! It felt so good to just let loose and surrender herself to the pleasure and...

No...she had to focus and regain her concentration. This was not her...this was not like her at all! Even with Hal, her husband, she had never felt so...wild and uninhibited! Could Lao have done something to increase her sex drive and make her open to suggestion? Was she experiencing such easy arousal because of her ordeal with the Kraken? She had been feeling a lot...lighter in her chest ever since waking up in these chains, which made no sense at all as she was missing that near-constant surge of energy that came with her superpowers. Even with the Orichalcum on her body she still had more strength left to her than an average person, so...why was she behaving like such a submissive? It could not really be true that she was-deep down-into such perversions...could it? Or was that just some trick on the part of her hostess...?

No...Martha was fairly certain that she knew her own mind, and while there was no mistaking the fact that Lao had indeed done something to lower her inhibitions, the feelings and emotions swelling up within her now were genuinely her own. Martha knew that she was-if anything-thinking more clearly than she had in quite a while, and that meant that she was as much to blame for feeling this way as Lao was. She could not shift all of the blame onto her captor...Lao only saw and exploited a weakness that she had seen within Martha, which meant that she was indeed...

And then Martha heard the soft approach of a woman's footsteps, measured their tread reflexively by the length of her stride, and knew that Lao was returning to the chamber well before the door to the cabin swung to one side to reveal the dominating form of the sea-foam-green haired lady Pirate. But...there was something else about the way she moved that made Martha sit up in bed and turn to really look at her nominal captor...and then she saw Lao's expression, which was heavy and wary, as if bearing a great secret.

"Nihao," she said as she came up to the bed, eyes troubled despite the appreciative glance that she paid to Martha's body.

Another time Martha would have shivered and felt flattered, but instead she automatically asked, "What's wrong? Is something...?"

Lao sat down on the bed and looked soberly at Martha, "I'm afraid something's come up that we need to deal with. It's...getting complicated...and I'm afraid I'm going to have to ask you to come with me."

"What's...?" Martha started to say, then a sudden realization came to her and she said, "That noise...that was Joan, wasn't it? She came looking for me, didn't she?"

"Yes," Lao nodded, rubbing her chin, "Damn near came close to taking my head off...she's got a mean right hook...must get that from her mother."

"Or her father," Martha hesitated before adding, "Is she...?"

"She's all right," Lao replied, "For now...a good thing I looked into your memories or I wouldn't have known how to beat her, and then...well...it would probably have gotten messy. I'd hate to have my crew burdened with cleaning up my remains off the deck..."

This somewhat grisly attempt at black humor did not dissuade Martha from coming to the next obvious conclusion, "You fed her to the Kraken, didn't you?"

Lao nodded, "She's undergoing the same treatment you experienced right now...I didn't have time to consult you, she might have regained consciousness at any moment and...well...I think you know your daughter a whole lot better than I do."

Martha fought over conflicting emotions that came with knowing exactly what Lao meant, but also because her daughter was even at that moment experiencing the same "tentacle rape" experience that she had endured only a few hours back. The part of her that was pure mother was naturally outraged that her only child should be treated in such a manner, and yet...knowing what all Joan had been like the past few years, another part of her was secretly glad and hoped that the Kraken would be a good experience...at least in terms of confronting many hidden issues.

"If you're wondering if I would have disapproved," Martha said aloud, "I...don't really know if I would have acted any different in your place. Joan can be...a handful..."

"More than a handful," Lao nodded, "But...there's something else that you should know...something that the Kraken's been filling my head with for the past few minutes. Did you know that her system is flush with a number of different poisons...chemical agents, residues and hallucinogenics?"

"You mean...drugs?" Martha blinked, "But...how...?"

"You tell me," Lao replied, "I thought you Kryptonians were immune to toxic substances...or it is this because she's...mostly human?"

"Ah...well..." Martha frowned, "It's true that my father is immune to just about everything...he once inhaled some sarin gas in a hostage situation and never felt any ill effects. I'm...mostly immune to toxins and poisons...but there are some chemical substances that can effect even my nervous system..."

"That's what I thought," Lao replied, "But...it's not just the drugs...the Kraken is purging them from her system and helping to keep her stable...but...well...let me show you directly."

And with that she placed a hand to either side of Martha's face, touching her fingers to the temples, and a moment later Martha was flooded with images and sensations that came and went so rapidly that she was left struggling to form a definitely impression.

To her it was as if she were back inside the Kraken, once more naked and struggling against the relentless caress of a thousand prehensile, infinitely flexible male members probing, caressing, stroking, fondling and exploring her body, every inch of skin alive to the pleasurable stimulation of each and every nerve ending, all orifices being filled to the brim as the writhing tendrils gyrated inside her pussy and rectum, and her mouth down her throat and into the bowels of her stomach. From her inside thighs to the tips of her toes she found herself embraced and her breasts squeezed and fondled in such a way that her mind reeled from the pleasurable onslaught. Try as she might she could not fight the tide of this sensual assault to her individual person, nor did she truly want to as her body was flush with strange emotions, the firing of nerve endings as bodily fluids were cleansed and unhealthy foreign substances were excreted and absorbed, cleaning her out inside while promoting the regeneration of discarded tissues.

Even as this physical assault was transpiring, though, she also felt her mind and emotions be similarly opened to a thorough and in-depth examination. Martha saw memories, flashes of past experience and the emotions that went with them from the other side of her awareness...thoughts that drifted from the pleasant times of a long-ago innocence to more recent events with flashes red-lining those incidents that had been most intensely life-altering and mood intensifying...

She remembered laughing with the delight of a child as her father picked up and carried her over a grassy plain, tossing her into the air and catching her once again as childish squeals filled the air and a warm tingling went all through her tiny body. Before she knew it she was flying on her own power, defying gravity and hovering just out of reach of her parents, who were also smiling at her and pointing with pride at the first solo-levitation ever performed by their beloved daughter...

She remembered attending school and working so hard not to betray those gifts that she knew made her special...and finally giving into the temptation of revealing the truth to her closest friend, who swore to abide by a pact of secrecy forever. She remembered a boy in the first grade dumping paint down the back of her blouse, and how much she wanted to beat him senseless for that but for the reminder of her best friend, who acted in time to preserve not only her secret but to prevent the unwise abuse of her powers...

She remembered traveling to other worlds with her father and mother, hanging out with alien forms of life that were strange and wonderful to her way of thinking. She remembered the funny shapes that her father would create with his power ring, remembered reciting his oath to always uphold justice, and the way he would smile at her and praise Joan for being a "good apprenticed Green Lantern..."

And then the accident with the reactor that had caused the evacuation of Coast city...a nuclear power plant had been destroyed by a psychopathic alien cyborg, which led to many thousands of people growing sick and dying from radiation, including her best friend and her friend's family...and how it affected her father, who tried desperately to "make everything all right" again, even though some people were well beyond his means to protect. That had been the hard point where her childhood effectively ended, and then the shock of her father's betrayal, going back to his first wife and abandoning his "real" family...how it made Joan feel...like discarded refuse!

Tragedy, anger, death, abandonment, powerlessness, futility, rage...all these emotions and more tore at a young girl's fragile heart and made her feel both small and insignificant. Joan had tried to pick up the pieces, but her mother was strangely cold and distant, bitter with her own issues of abandonment, and the only one who seemed to take any time to care for her was her grandfather Clark, who invited her to spend time with his family while her mother "got over her crisis." That was when she met Ally, or "A-ko," as some people called her, another girl close to her own age who had super-powers, and for a time she had thought to find friendship again, but after only a few days she went back to live with her mother.

That time had been intolerable, as a young girl neared that "awkward" period when her hormones began to change and her body became strange and alien even to her own way of thinking. She started to grow taller and develop breasts, began to bleed every month and sometimes had cramps that would not go away no matter what medicines she drank. Her mother was no help at all in trying to understand these changes, as a gangling, stumbling, awkward girl became a young woman, and then began noticing men, or-at least-started to attract their interest.

She'd had a boyfriend, after a fashion, but it never really amounted to much, and it always felt...odd when she kissed him...not right, somehow...wrong...different from what other girls said it should feel like. She began to feel like a genuine alien, a freak of nature, and she resented her own hair color. They said that green was not a natural color for a girl, so she began wearing a yellow wig, reasoning that hair dyes would never stay "fixed" to her hair follicles. Later on she found stronger chemicals that could indeed change her hair to a more "natural" color. As a blonde she became more popular than ever with the boys, and still her life did not feel...right somehow...so she tried desperately to copy her peers, to fit in more with their perceptions of "normal." She missed having someone in whom she could confide, and then she got into a bad scene, fell in with the wrong crowd, and by turns drifted away from the path of the rigidly straight and narrow example set down by her mother...

She got in fights with other students, held back a lot less, cut loose against those who looked like they could "take a little punishment," and then she started playing "practical jokes" on people who got on her bad side. The worst of it came when she discovered illegal hallucinogenics, particularly one powerful drug that could even effect her nervous system. It caused her to experience sensations and emotions that she had never felt before, and it dulled out the pain, making it easier to forget her sense of alienation. It also sharpened her tactile and sensory awareness of other chemical substances, such as alcohol and tobacco, which never before had affected her in any significant way...

At sixteen she was addicted to the substance, but gradually over time her body built up a resistance, leaving her body to feel indescribable cravings whenever she missed her dosage or failed a rendezvous with her supplier. She tried to quit, to come clean about her addiction, but the cravings got so bad that at times all she could think about was satisfying her hunger, and for that she needed the good graces of her supplier. She had to perform a number of unsavory tasks as "payment for services rendered," and because he was with the government it had seemed to be "all right" for a time, but...

Martha pulled back abruptly, a face and a name floating up from the haze of those memories, and all at once she snarled, "General Gordon...that BASTARD! I should have known he'd try and pull something like this behind my-I'll kill him! The next time I see him, he's A DEAD MAN!"

"Not that I disagree with your sentiments," Lao said, "But...there is more...do you want to see?"

Martha grudgingly consented, and then allowed the images to resume as Lao opened her mind to the flood of images that she had been steadily receiving from the Kraken...

...Joan had tried to conceal her addiction from her mother, but it became increasingly difficult to hide the strange and twisted changes her life was undergoing, whether it was going to other worlds to fight in other battles or being drawn into the ongoing adventures of other "players" in the Metahuman games between the powers of absolute Good and Evil. Eventually she had accepted an invitation to join a team in the south of Florida, adopting her trade name as "Rad," and-at least on the surface-working as best she could to "fit in" with her new gang of proto-feminist Cat-fighters. Eventually some members of the team began to suspect that their resident "Bad Girl" had skeletons in her closet, and as her behavior became more and more erratic those suspicions seemed to be confirmed and yet-when their team leader had attempted to get her ejected from the team-their government backers had nixed the whole thing under General Gordon's authorization...

...But then something changed during the course of her time with her fellow feminist super-fighters, she started to care...really care about the welfare of others. She had always in her heart wanted to maintain the illusion that she was basically a hero, but some of the things General Gordon had made her do seemed...WRONG on a fundamental level. At the core, beneath her pretense of indifference, she was frightened that her team mates would reject her, and so-  
while not seeming to give a damn about anything or anyone-she gave what assistance she could and made herself basically useful, pulling her weight and then some so that they might come to view her as a valuable team member...

...And then she met Lila...and her life would never be the same again. The formidable Mistress of Magnetism was-in many respects-her opposite, a reluctant fighter who had never truly wanted to be superhuman, yet who had no choice but to accept her fate and the great responsibility that came with her enormous power. At once Joan had felt a kind of sympathy for this other girl, and then a feeling of closeness, like they were kindred spirits underneath all other pretenses. For the first time in her life, Joan actually felt...excited to be near to someone, to feel an urge to grow closer, a desire that betrayed the true nature of her feelings. From there they had gone through the various levels of a courtship, from nervous silences to exchanged hints and glances, to rival claimants who seemed to briefly divert their attention from one another, to a final confrontation and admission when one seemed on the verge of total defeat and death, which brought about the revelation of the true depths of their mutual attraction, and from there at last came admission and surrender, which in turn gave way to carnal knowledge.

In fact, just remembering her first time with Lila, with the way they had taken their time undressing each other, like something out of the movies. They shyness had given way to tenderness as a kiss led to a caress and a hug, and then a gentle fondle, the admiring of the perfect form of the woman in her arms, how much fun it was to touch and explore her body...

Martha broke off her rapport once again, only this time feeling hot and bothered for entirely different reasons, having seen through her own daughter's eyes the level of arousal Joan felt when making love to her girlfriend, Lila. Though Martha had until now disapproved of the relationship, perceiving the heat that rose up in what seemed to be her own body as she contemplated the full-flavored beauty of the girl named Lila gave her a PRETTY GOOD IDEA of what Joan found so attractive...

"That's...enough for now...thank you..." she managed to stammer, and Lao withdrew her hands, allowing Martha's perceptions to return to relative normal, "So...that's what Joan's been thinking all these years...and...and for my part I...think I feel very sick all of a sudden..."

"You haven't even gotten to the part where you two were fighting like cats," Lao replied, "I've already viewed those memories...typical case of mother-daughter miscommunication, with both of you talking over one another and not really listening to what the other party has to say in their own defense..."

"You sound like we're some kind of a soap opera," Martha remarked.

"I've seen it before," Lao said, "Many times, in fact, in the minds of other women who take a trip through memory lane ala the Kraken. You'd be amazed at how many daughters feel alienated and misunderstood by their elders..." she sighed, "I can't help knowing about it because of my link to the Kraken, but I've learned to tune some of it out when I don't need to know the particular details."

"So...you've seen my memories and how I got along with my father?" Martha asked.

"I've cried with you over your mother's grave," Lao nodded, "I'm a serial voyeur, people fascinate me, I can't help wondering what makes them tick. I don't have a degree in Psychiatry, but I know enough about human beings from direct observation to have a good sense for what makes us special as people."

"That must be...very strange...having so many other people in your head," Martha conceded.

"I manage," Lao replied, "I keep a strong sense of my own individual identity, and I find creative ways of...distracting myself when I get too moody."

"Indeed," Martha could not help smiling despite a general sense of depression that was slowly creeping over her, "That must be very...handy..."

"You're blaming yourself for not understanding the changes your Joan had to endure by herself," Lao smiled, "And well you should have regrets about that, but it's not entirely your fault. Some of those choices were Joan's to make, not yours, and even if you had been there for her full time..."

"Please," Martha urged, "I don't need someone to rationalize for me my failure as a parent. I should have made a better effort to know what demons were driving Joan, and why she seemed to be purposefully driving me to distraction..."

"A standard cry for attention," Lao nodded, "I've seen a lot of that as well in this business."

"Yes...well...this business, as you put it, is supposed to be my business of being there for my own daughter," Martha frowned, "I don't know if Joan will ever be able to forgive me...I don't think I can forgive myself. I'm...grateful to you for calling this to my attention..."

"Just don't shoot the messenger," Lao said with mild irony, "But the reason I wanted to show you this isn't just out of some benighted desire to make you feel bad about yourself, I need your consent, as her closest living relative, to go one step further than I did with you...which...can have serious consequences."

That made Martha sit up and pay attention to the woman before her, "My consent...for what?"

"The Kraken can purge her of her chemical addiction," Lao explained, "It can revitalize damaged areas of her brain and nervous system that were altered by the drugs to make her body dependent on them, and she will no longer feel any physical cravings...however..."

"However?" Martha cocked an eyebrow.

"Psychological addiction is an entirely different matter," Lao said, "Understand...those drugs were her shield against unpleasant aspects of her life that she would rather not have to deal with. There is a psychosomatic dependence on the behavior pattern of...if you will...shooting up, like any other kind of addiction...so even if she no longer is physically dependent on the drugs that American General fed her..."

"She could still lapse back into dependence," Martha leapt ahead to this conclusion, "In other words...she could go right back to being an addict."

"Unless-and this is a BIG unless, mind you," Lao cautioned, "Unless she made the conscious decision to stop taking the drugs and using them as a crutch. I assume, from your reaction, you already know what type of chemicals she was using...?"

"Oh, I do," Martha nodded, "Compound V-45ad, a psychoanalytic drug that came out of early research during the second world war, back when the government was trying to create a 'Super Soldier' in the war against the Nazis. An earlier version of this drug was pioneered by a Doctor Rhinestein and resulted in a one-  
time success case that just about everyone knows about today. The V-program was a separate approach to the same end and resulted in a test case subject known as the Black Commando, who turned out to be a spectacular failure. The subject gained tremendously enhanced strength, resistance and endurance, but it drove him into a psychotic state that forced the government to...terminate the project."

"The project...and the man?" Lao asked, then nodded as she saw Martha's somber expression, "I see...but...if your daughter already has superpowers, why then would she need to enhance them?"

"I don't know," Martha said, "Why do athletes take steroids? Ask General Gordon, although you'll need a Ouiji board for that after I get my hands on that Black Book Bastard!"

"Indeed," Lao nodded, "My condolences in advance to his next to kin. But my real purpose here is to ask your advice, and whether you will trust me with the welfare of your daughter."

"What do you have in mind?" Martha asked.

"Tough love, shock treatment," Lao replied, "The Kraken is vast and has memories stored from every one of its past victims. Including in those memories are the various other girls whose addictions it has cured, and by feeding her those memories and letting her experience first hand the depths to which human beings can succumb at the mercy of drugs..."

"You want to force her to see how bad things can get," Martha comprehended, "But...what are the risks in doing this?"

"You can go too far," Lao said, "Overwhelm her with these images, cause her to lose focus on her own identity and possibly even drive her into madness. Extreme case, she might will herself to die, or suffer physical strains that the Kraken can't compensate for. She's nearly as strong as you, and that means that there is some danger to the Kraken itself, but if we are successful..."

"Then Joan could live a normal life free from addiction," Martha nodded, "And she won't willingly go back to using them no matter what pressure Gordon brings to bear...or anyone else for that matter. I see why you're asking for my consent...you're asking me to meddle in my daughter's personal life again..."

"That's what parents often do," Lao replied, "She's eighteen, which is an age of consent in your country, but she's still your daughter, and there is certainly a time to intervene, and if not now..."

"Then I agree," Martha said, "Joan can hate me for it after it's over. But...what about you? Are you in any danger?"

"I can deal with the feedback," Lao winced, "It won't be too pleasant...but I'll monitor things on a peripheral level until I'm certain that Joan will be out of danger. When she's finally ready the Kraken will release her...then you can talk...and I hope she won't be too upset with me. The last time...well...let's just say I don't relish a rematch."

"I don't blame you for that," Martha smiled, "Thank you."

"Don't mention it," Lao replied, "I'm a sucker for happy endings. Speaking of which...do you feel up to greeting a little company?"

"Company?" Martha blinked.

"Your sister is here, along with her girlfriend," Lao explained, "They came all the way out here to see you, and I've welcomed them aboard under a flag of good conduct. They want me to produce you, and for you to assure them that I haven't done something horribly nasty..."

"You mean like feed me and my daughter to the belly of a monster that ravishes the mind and body?" Martha smiled, "I guess I could make myself civil. But...um..." she rattled her chains, "Do you think that I could put something more presentable on first?"

"What's wrong with what you're wearing?" Lao grinned, but nonetheless produced a key, "If I take the chains off of you, do I have your word that you won't try to kill me or bring me to justice?"

"Let me think about that," Martha pretended to study the ceiling, then grinned, "Deal. And I'll make a promise to you that when it's over you can put the chains back on me, if you like."

Lao's eyes widened, "Are you serious?"

"I think so," Martha frowned, "Strange...you must have done something to affect my thinking, but...I have this odd desire to play the helpless heroine for a little while longer. It's...a curious sensation, like wearing these chains of Orichalcum."

Lao laughed openly and said, "Oh yes...I'm sure my evil, seductive ways can be most persuasive, but you're not really under any mental compulsion on my part."

"Are you sure about that?" Martha asked.

"Positively," Lao replied, "You have greater mental strength than you realize, and though I did render you open to suggestive for a while there, it was only a temporary effect. I may play with the minds of people who come under my influence, but I cannot change the fundamental dynamics of your own nature. It's like with hypnotic suggestion...I cannot make you do something that is against your will...I have to make you want to do something, and believe it is your own choice, which means it has to be something you would choose to do of your own volition."

Martha frowned, "I'm not sure if I like the sound of that. It makes it seem as if I really do have a secret desire to be dominated by you."

"I don't write the rules that govern superheroes," Lao inclined her head, "But you would hardly be the first powerful woman who harbored a secret desire to be punished...and I think it goes well beyond your feelings of guilt or sense of inadequacy as a parent."

"I hope you don't mind if I think that one over," Martha said, "You're much too clever with words for me to take any of that at face value."

"What's the matter?" Lao chuckled, "Don't you trust me?"

"About as far as I can throw this ship," Martha smiled back, "Of course I can throw it pretty far..."

"Then I'm the one who should be on her best behavior, yes?" Lao said as she worked the key in the lock and undid the cuffs and manacles, setting them aside as she freed Martha from their influence.

"Oh...yes...!" Martha stood up and stretched, flexing her arms and legs then rotating her hips to restore full range, flexibility and circulation, "Now this is more like it! I feel my strength returning to me already..."

"So," Lao said as she enjoyed the show, watching Martha go through flexing motions that were VERY eye opening, "Shall I get on my knees now and beg for my lift?"

"That all depends," Martha eyed her slyly, and then like a shot she was on Lao, lifting her from the bed and drawing her into her embrace before planting a kiss on her lips, letting her hands rove freely over the nude body of the lady Pirate.

"...?" Lao responded after the kiss was eventually broken.

"I've been wanting to do that all day!" Martha grinned, letting Lao go, "You have any idea how frustrating it was not being able to reach you while you made me cum all over? Well now...what should I wear? My costume or...something more appropriate?"

"Er...well..." for once Lao seemed to be the one who was off-balanced, "I...do keep a wardrobe...just in case it's needed...and I'm sure I have something in your size..."

"No doubt taken from one of your earlier victims," Martha said with more confidence than before, "But never mind that...save those chains for later, I'll pick something that looks nice. Ally-chan and the others are probably waiting for us and must think I'm suffering the torments of the damned, or some such nonsense. Let's go out there and show them that I'm all right...ah yes! My powers are definitely returning...I can see them sitting down to a table in the next room..."

"The ward room," Lao said, "I converted it into a full dining hall for just such occasions."

"The place where you wined and dined me before having your wicked ways with me," Martha said, "How...appropriate, somehow. All right...then let's get started..."

"Are you sure about this place?" Alison asked as she scanned the interior of their surroundings, "This looks almost like a movie set for one of those chop-  
sockie flicks, the ones about Chinese pirates..."

"Appropriate, give the present circumstances," Beatrice deduced, "Only our purpose here is nothing quite so dramatic. If Madam Lao is as reasonable a sort as she seemed to be on the phone, then perhaps we can resolve matters without resorting to any unpleasantness. That is, unless we are both gravely mistaken."

"I shouldn't worry about it too much," Kodachi replied, "The Mistress will treat us with respect and courtesy since she has given us safe conduct and pledged to honor us as her dinner guests. If you do not threaten her or what she holds dear she is quite reasonable and direct, but give her cause to treat us like her enemies and she will respond in kind, which is only to be expected."

"I guess that's one way of putting it," Akane reasoned, still flexing her arms now that she was no longer bound up tight like a package and the baggage hold of the invisible jet, and having donned the clothing that had been stored with her and the others at the table for just such a semi-formal occasion, "And we don't want to have any trouble if it can be avoided, so be on your best behavior, Ryoga-kun, and try not to start anything, will you?"

"I won't start anything, Akane-chan," Ryoga reassured his iinazuke, "But if she doesn't give up Nabchan and the others...then there's gonna be trouble."

"Just don't be the one to throw the first punch, okay, Bro?" Keiko asked, "I know how my Lady thinks, and she's not going to inconvenience us as long as we keep things civil. Only fight as a last resort around her, and when you fight go all out or else you won't stand a chance, and you only get one when you go up against our lady."

"A fine recommendation, Keiko-chan," Lao herself remarked as she came into the room with a now-dressed Martha beside her, "How nice to see you and your friends once again, and Kodachi-chan, as lovely as ever. Akane-chan, you've grown lovelier than the last time I saw you, and Ryoga-kun...how virile you have become! And of course let us not forget our two friends from the hospital, Beatrice and Alison, is it not? Ah yes...I remember you well, only...the last time I saw you, you were a bit less..."

"Pregnant?" Alison replied, "Yeah, I get that a lot..."

"Madam Lao," Beatrice stood up and bowed, "My thanks for meeting with us on such short notice..."

"Not at all," Lao waved the point aside dismissively, "I was, in truth, expecting you to show up here sooner or later. Of course one of the main reasons for your going to all this trouble is to assure your partner of the safe condition of her sister, Martha-chan, whom you can see is no worse for her travails."

"Ally-chan," Martha said as she approached the table, then made a negative motion to still Alison's attempt to rise to her feet, "No, you don't have to get up for me...I can see how much trouble that is for you anyway. How did you get out here, by the way? We're a bit too far off from Japan for you to have caught a shuttle..."

"Oh, I just borrowed mom's plane, that's all," Alison shrugged, "I thought you might be in trouble and could use some bailing out. Er...where is Joan-chan? I thought she got here ahead of us..."

"Joan is...presently being detained," Martha replied before Lao could make the same explanation, "I'm sure she will be around in a while...but for now...I think we can skip the formalities and get down to the basics. I didn't get a chance to ask you this before, but you and...Beatrice was it?"

"Beatrice Kane Daitokuji," Beatrice said as a gentle reminder, "But you can call me by my nick-name...Beiko."

"B-ko," Martha sniffed, glancing at her younger sister, "A-ko...somehow it fits. So...what was this about you getting my sister pregnant?"

"Ah...well..." Beatrice began to say when Alison glanced at her and muttered the word, "Big mouth...always gotta brag about it, don't you? Like getting me knocked up was some kind of major achievement..."

"Excuse me for asking this," Lao said, "But I'm sure that your Oneechan is not the only one to wonder how this was achieved. Forgive me for saying this, Beiko-san, but...you don't exactly seem to have the right equipment."

"Oh, you'd be amazed what Beiko can do when she gets something into her head," Alison rolled her eyes before Beatrice could answer.

"Ah...quite," Beatrice said somewhat sheepishly, "Let's just say that I have...other sorts of gifts that allow me to do certain things that might seem well beyond the scope of an ordinary woman..."

"Such as create miniature robotic devices too small for the naked eye to perceive?" Lao asked, "Such as a device my people found when they examined Nabiki?"

"You...found that?" Beatrice blinked, "But...how...?"

"I have my ways, as apparently you do," Lao replied, "Nabiki's rather upset with you...she seems to think you did something naughty behind her back without her permission...and apparently whatever you were trying to achieve has proven to be successful."

"It is?" Beatrice's eyes widened appreciatively, "You mean that...Saotome and Nabiki have...borne fruit?"

"Huh?" Alison glanced at her, "What are you talking about? Beiko...did you do something else besides spy on their honeymoon suite without telling me about it?"

"Ah...well..." Beatrice looked somewhat uncomfortable, "I was attempting an experiment to see if I could find the means to help Nabiki with her...condition...but I didn't expect it to achieve results this soon. Saotome must be even more fertile than I'd imagine, or Nabiki is more fecund than I had surmised..."

"Huh?" Akane looked at both them and Lao, "What are you talking about? What were you trying to do for Nabiki?"

"Oh, nothing bad," Beatrice replied, "I was just trying to help her to become pregnant."

"Say WHAT?" Ryoga reacted.

"Interesting," Kodachi mused, "You injected her with one of your Nanoprobes in an attempt to overcome the limitations imposed upon them by the curse of Jusenkyo?"

"Really?" Keiko mused, "You can do that?"

"It seemed like a worthwhile program at the time I came up with the idea," Beatrice replied, "But I...was a little unsure about its chances for success, and I didn't want to raise false hopes without more research..."

"Apparently those hopes weren't as hopeless as you thought they would be," Lao mused, "My people have been monitoring the progress of the embryo that has been implanted in the wall of her uterus and it is growing at four times the normal rate of progress from gestation. That is likely to slow down a bit as time progresses, but for now the embryo appears to be quite healthy. It does, however, pose a potential difficulty if it grows too much larger since in her male aspect Nabiki would be incapable of supporting a growing fetus."

"Excuse me," Martha cut in, "But are you telling me that you can create Nanotechnology capable of helping someone overcome infertility? My God...the medical implications alone..."

"Are indeed worthy of future consideration," Beatrice replied, "But at the moment the process I used can have no immediate commercial applications, nor can it be produced in sufficient quantity to be a viable system on anything but a one-to-one basis...""

"Why is that?" Martha asked, "Is the process expensive?"

"Not at all," Beatrice answered, "It is just...that I used alien technology to achieve this, and in the wrong hands such things..."

"Oh," Martha nodded, "One of THOSE kinds of things. Forget I asked...I know how super science could be a problem if exploited for widespread distribution."

"Yes, well..." Beatrice reached over to ruffle Alison's hair, "I impregnated Aiko with the use of Nanoprobes, so I thought the process might be adapted to help my friend with her...problem. Perhaps I may have overstepped myself by not consulting with her in full detail ahead of time, but..."

"But why make her the exception?" Alison huffed, "You did it to me without asking."

"Indeed," Lao mused as she studied the way Beatrice colored abruptly and looked almost crestfallen, "I wouldn't mind knowing more about your methods, but...let it go for now. The fact is that you two are about to be proud parents. Well met indeed, and Nabiki should be...flattered by your interest."

"What about Oneechan?" Akane spoke up, "Why isn't she here? I wanted to see if she and the others are all right...""

"Oh they are," Lao assured, "Nabiki is...presently being detained while my people continue to run tests...but Perfume-chan is with her and I'm sure that everything will be all right. As for my other cousin and her co-wife, Kuonji, they are...keeping each other entertained while my nursing staff helps them to take care of their babies. Ranma, their husband, is...currently playing a game of baseball with my daughter, Breeze..."

"Huh?" Ryoga said, "Your daughter?"

"How is Breeze-chan?" Kodachi smiled pleasantly.

"Yeah," Keiko said, "I haven't seen the little nipper in a couple of months...I'll bet she's growing like seaweed..."

"Oh yes," Lao said, "Every time I turn around she seems to get a little...bigger, and in all the right places...but then again, she is the child of her mother..."

"How soon can we see Nabiki and Ranma?" Akane asked persistently, not wanting to be sidetracked from that particular subject, "And...when do I get to meet my new niece? What did they name her anyway?"

"I am given to understand that her parents chose the name of Fragrance," Lao answered, "And as for how soon you may be reunited with your loved ones...very soon, I promise. For now I can send my people to fetch my cousin and Ukyo...they seem to be the ones most at liberty at the moment..."

"How can you know all that?" Alison asked.

"I know everything that goes on aboard the POJ," Lao replied, "The ship and I are as one, and I have only to direct my focus to one of my minions and they inform me..."

"Do tell," Beatrice mused, "That sounds like a very...handy talent."

"It's been known to have its beneficial uses," Lao said dryly, "Ukyo and Shampoo will be here within a few minutes. I will ask my people to dress them accordingly so that they will fit in with the casual motif of my décor..."

"Sis," Alison turned to regard Martha again, "Are you sure you're all right?"

"Reasonably sure," Martha replied, "The Captain and I were having a nice conversation when you decided to join us, and we hope to get back to it after our business done is done here. Now...I assume that father is doing well?".

"Last I checked," Alison replied, "He and Mom are out on another of their missions, which is why they can't be here when I need them to cope with my...problem...but never mind that, Oneechan...what happened to you? Your hair is a mess, and what happened to your costume?"

"Nothing bad, Ally-chan," Martha replied, "I've just been...taking in some of the hospitality that Captain Lao has been showing me. Look, do I seem any different to you?"

"Actually...yeah," Alison's eyes narrowed, "You seem like you're a lot more relaxed than the last time I saw you, and you don't sit like you've got a stick up your butt..."

"Ahem," Beatrice sniffed, "I'm sure we can all thank you for the colorful imagery, Aiko-chan, but as your sister does not appear to be any worse for the wear..."

"I'm not, thank you," Martha assured them, "But I am hoping you two might stay a while, give me a chance to get to know you. You sound very well educated, and such an intelligent young girl at your age could only prove to be a good influence on my little sister. I always thought Alison needed someone who could keep up with her, and you do seem to make a...rather interesting couple..."

"They do at that," Keiko mused pleasantly, "A couple of what we'll leave to your imagination."

"Look," Ryoga spoke up, "I don't know where any of this is leading, but I'd like to hear from Nabiki and Ranma first-hand that they're here and are being treated well. He's my...uh...he's somebody I'd rather no see get hurt, all right?"

"I told you that your brother is just fine," Lao replied, "But if it will reassure you, I can have him summoned here in a trice."

"Er..." Ryoga said evasively, his tone a bit off-key, "Where did you get the idea that Ranma and I are brothers...?"

"I like to keep up with current events," Lao replied, "And besides, you bear a strong family resemblance, though-so far-the tests have proven to be...inconclusive..."

"If Nabiki's all right, is it okay if I see her?" Akane asked, "That is...if it's not too much trouble..."

"No, no trouble for me," Lao said with a slight hint of evasion in her voice, "But...she might not care to be interrupted at the moment, if you know what I mean..."

"Oh?" Keiko arched an eyebrow, "Nabchan...and Perfume...together? Whoah...let's just hope nobody splashes either one of them with cold water..."

"Why?" Martha asked, "Will they melt?"

"Not exactly," Akane winced slightly, "But it's...kind of complicated..."

"What in life isn't these days?" Lao mused, "It comes with the territory of living."

"Indeed," Kodachi said, then perked up as she hear a panel side back at one corner of the room, "Ah...two of the prodigal daughters are here at last...and yes, they do seem to be in rather good condition...a bit mussed around the edges, but..."

"Very funny," Ukyo said as she and Shampoo entered the room, both dressed in cheonsang one-piece outfits and cradling their blanket-swathed daughters in their arms, "What are you guys doing here, and how did you get here?"

"Aiyaa," Shampoo remarked, "Is you here looking for Nabiki and others?"

"Hey guys," Akane brightened, "You're all right...fantastic!"

"Why shouldn't we be?" Ukyo glanced around, "Where's Ranchan and Nabiki, or Perchan for that matter?"

"Oh don't worry," Lao replied, "You'll be seeing them soon enough. In fact one of my people has already been dispatched to summon Saotome, and you should be seeing him in another few minutes...and as for your mutual Airen, well..." she smiled in an altogether knowing manner...

Nabiki awoke back to herself having the most peculiar...flavor in her mouth...in fact she came out of her berserker state to an awareness that someone was tonguing her loins and apparently had been doing so for quite some time. That this tongue-work felt so GOOD only made Nabiki arch her back and spread her thighs farther apart as her (as yet unknown) lover probed her sex deeply as if drilling for oil...and surely soon his or her efforts would be yielding a gusher from so much intensive and relentless tongue-lashing.

She was a little fuzzy in the memory department. The last coherent thought she could remember having was of being strung up stark naked and left to suffer by herself in a state of uncomfortable semi-arousal. Her arms and legs were being stretched out by her spread-eagled position, and there were coils of rope around both of her naked breasts, forcing them to stand out while other clips had been pinching at her nipples. She had definitely not been comfortable left to hang that way by the mischievous team of Lotus and Blossom, who had made it a point to sadistically tease and torment her sex without allowing her to cum all the way, which left her more than a little irritated, only...she had some vague memory of paying them back...nothing definite, just a very faint impression of achieving a kind of...satisfaction...

Somehow she knew that the swirling tongue currently driving her to distraction did not belong to either of Lao's two minions, but the owner of that flexible muscle most certainly knew his or her business. Very rarely had she been eaten out with this much skill and sensitivity...Ranma came to mind, but this did not feel quite like him, nor did it seem like Shampoo's favorite style of cunnalingus. This tongue felt more like a newbie, but not a novice...DEFINITELY she wanted to compliment the owner of that tongue, but for now she was just content to lean her shoulderblades against the deck and squirm a little as she allowed herself to be enjoyed in the way a-four footed animal-would lap up a bowl of war cream.

Yes, that's what it felt like...a very distinctive style that was keyed to testing the limits of each nerve ending that was encountered with an aim of shooting sparks right up Nabiki's spine and causing her mind to go white with sudden delight, going right over the edge into a full-blown climax mere instants later as Nabiki ground her hips and cried out triumphantly, finally satisfying her physical needs with one tremendous gut-wrenching, earth-trembling explosion.

Her mysterious tormentor promptly clamped her whole mouth over the area and proceeded to lick up every drop of liquid honey that she could find as she hung on to Nabiki while maintaining a steady pressure. The artful way she lapped it up made it seem as if she had feasted on no other kind of meal but pussy for some unfathomable length of time...which reminded Nabiki that she had not eaten anything else either...

Well enough, easily remedied, she smiled as she lay back and panted, wrung out and happy at the force of her own climax. She waited until she had sufficiently recovered to roll over onto her side and then attempted to sit up, even as the other party kept a firm lip-lock over her well-wrung loins, affording Nabiki a better view of the one who was pleasuring her with such wild and voracious abandon, denoting a womanly figure, large breasts and distinctively chestnut colored hair, which lead her to conclude that her ravishing admirer was none other than...

"Perchan?" Nabiki gasped, mildly surprised by the revelation.

The Amazon Enforcer paused in what she was doing and smiled with her best Cheshire-grin, "Nihao, Airen..."

"Airen?" Nabiki repeated, "Don't you mean Ucchan...?"

"Well, you're the senior Airen to my Airen," Perfume explained, "Which makes you the Airen to my Airen's Airen..."

"Never mind," Nabiki said, "What are you doing down there?"

"Did you hit your head or something?" Perfume gave her an even more winsome smile, "I should think that was obvious."

"Ah...yeah, but..." Nabiki stumbled.

"If you mean why am I munching on your carpet, consider it a simple act of self-  
preservation," Perfume explained, "You went Neko, and it was the only way I could think of talking you out of mauling me. Since playing dead isn't much fun, and you were in your Alpha Female dominant mode, so I just submitted myself to your authority and let you have your fun with me until you managed to calm down enough for me to return the favor..."

"I...?" Nabiki blinked, "Oh. Ah...well...I didn't hurt you or anything...did I...?"

"Are you kidding?" Perfume replied with a kittenish grin, "I've been hurt a lot worse during practice, and it's a lot more fun being eaten out than it would be getting eaten..."

"Eaten?" Nabiki colored, "Ah...well...I don't think I'd...really go that far..."

"You didn't see the look you were giving me when you were in Neko mode," Perfume shivered, "Like I was a big, furry mouse that you wanted to have for your dinner. I have to say that if you're going to have fur in your mouth I'd much rather that I was still attached to it and no part of me is torn and bleeding. I understand that they were starving you in addition to being tied up and teased to make you horny. You sure had a lot of pent up energy that you needed to vent, so I just...made myself the target for a little therapeutic venting..."

"You did that for me?" Nabiki felt oddly touched by the gesture, "But...you're not angry that I...?"

"Well hey," Perfume grinned the more deeply, "You can't rape the willing, and I definitely felt like I owed you a good screw job. So...are you feeling better now? No lingering traces of the Neko?"

"Ah...no...I think it's gone," Nabiki sat upright, "Sorry...I never remember what happens when I'm like that...was it good?"

Perfume leaned over her and kissed Nabiki on the mouth, allowing the other girl to taste the sweet nectar of her own juices, which were fresh on the palate, giving Nabiki a savor of what she tasted like in a tight clench.

"Does that answer your question...Airen?" Perfume asked as she broke the kiss and leaned her forehead up against Nabiki's."

"..." was all that Nabiki could say as she licked her lips and enjoyed the sweet savor, then all at once moved forward and planted her own kiss on Perfume's lips, rolling the Amazon to the floor before straddling her, then looking down and gasping, "I'm sorry...I don't know what's come over me, I..."

"Why are you apologizing?" Perfume asked as she gazed up adoringly at the lovely face of the older girl, "I want this as much as you do."

"Yeah, but..." Nabiki paused, "I can't seem to control myself..."

"Then don't," Perfume responded, reaching up to cup Nabiki's face, then drawing her down to chest level so that the Tendo girl could satisfy her own hunger.

"KAMI, you smell so good!" Nabiki murmured as she began nuzzling the bare skin of her current sex-partner.

"Good enough to eat?" Perfume gasped as she allowed Nabiki to stroke, fondle and caress her with both hands while hungry lips set about doing their work to her full breasts, "Then munch away...I'm ripe and tasty..."

"Yes you are," Nabiki agreed, and for the next several minutes she could do nothing else but satisfy her hunger, taking each of Perfume's nipples into her mouth in turn and suckling on them until she could almost swear that she was drawing breast milk, then ravishing the Enforcer down the length of her narrow body, pausing to give special attention to each of Perfume's long legs, roving up their insides and down past the length of her knees to the tips of her perfect feet before languishing for some moments on her heels and ankles, then suckling on a toe to work herself up as the hunger grew strong within her, rubbing her pelvis against Perfume's crotch to give partial relief to the fire in her loins that demanded some relief. Before too long she returned and retraced her steps down Perfume's legs to her inner thighs, and then at last circled around and eventually encircled her loins, and then began to suck down on Perfume's pink meat while thrusting a tongue up into her snatch, flicking her nose against the other girl's clitoris and generally doing everything that she could to make Perfume scream, writhe, groan and cry out in overwhelming excitement. They were noisier than any Porn movie as the sounds of contented munching and slurping filled the air like the warm perfume of two hot female bodies enjoying sex with one another. Of a certainty Perfume had no complaints and even worked around to once again return the favor, taking her own measure of delight in the other girl's embraces before yielding up her own juices to help slake Nabiki's famished hunger.

"OHHH-YEEEESSSS!" Perfume cried out at last, arching her back and shivering all over as she felt her world turn inside out in one gigantic mind-numbing, total-body shudder.

"You like that, huh?" Nabiki said in a roughed voice between slurps, and before Perfume knew it she was being rolled onto all fours with Nabiki positioning herself in the back, "Well...take this...I may not be a guy right now, but I'm still gonna hump you!"

Perfume's only reply was to widen the space between her thighs a little and then press her face to the floor as Nabiki asserted her dominance like a true Pack leader, rubbing her loins up against the bare bottom of the Amazon while running her legs around one of Perfume's thighs to achieve a level of double-friction that soon sent both of their minds rocketing into orbit. Perfume was soon reduced to pants and pleas as she was ridden like a pony, her hypersensitive nerves causing each grinding motion of pelvic-action to feel as raw and exciting as though there were a dildo between them.

Nabiki soon came from the sheer exhilaration of her dominance and command over the other woman, and Perfume came from the sheer enjoyment of being so dominated by her senior co-wife. It was a scenario in which both women opened their minds and awareness to one another and felt a bond grow stronger that linked them as lovers, not just two women married to the same husband but full-fledged partners who knew their pecking order and were happy to serve in the role of dominant and submissive...

But then Nabiki came down off her high and took a hard look at what she was doing, and then she cried, "Noooo...!"

"What's wrong?" Perfume asked as she felt Nabiki draw away from her, "This was just getting good..."

"But this is what Lao wants!" Nabiki declared, "She wants us to lose sight of our individual preferences and desires so that we can think of nothing else but screwing one another..."

"So?" Perfume asked as she sat upright, "You say that like it's a bad thing."

"It is!" Nabiki said, "It's...sick! I was treating you like an object just now...I was making you squat down and take it from me like you were...like you were some kind of slave..."

"It's true that I don't approve of everything that my cousin does," Perfume replied, "But you weren't doing anything right now that I didn't want you to do. I've no problem acknowledging you as the dominant pack member in our little family unit. There's nothing wrong in my opinion with submitting to your will...you are the senior wife in our household, that means that you have the right to command me."

"But I wasn't trying to command anyone!" Nabiki protested, "Per-chan...I care more about you than that...I think of you as a person..."

"I never thought you thought of me as anything else but a person," Perfume replied, reaching down and taking one of Nabiki's hands and holding it up to her breast, "You see this? A simple act of affection doesn't make me feel degraded...if anything I'm glad you find me personally attractive and desirable...I'd be a whole lot more disappointed if you didn't. What we're doing here is consensual...I give you my consent to do with me as you will through sex...it doesn't make me think any less of you if you take advantage of my inferior status, and don't even try pretending with me that you weren't getting off on riding me like a mountain pony. It's what you live for...just ask my cousin."

"Er...well..." Nabiki responded as she felt the heavy breast that was in her hand, admiring its firmness, shape and texture.

"I know you've wanted to screw me from almost the first minute that we met," Perfume replied, "So why should you suddenly be having scruples about it now? You've always said that when opportunity comes knocking that only a fool fails to seize it."

"Ah...well...actually," Nabiki colored slightly, "The first time I met you I was thinking more along the lines of escaping...from you and your axes...but later...well...after you calmed down and got engaged to Ucchan..."

"You started seeing me more as a person," Perfume finished for her, "That's very sweet, but it doesn't let you off the hook. Either you screw me now or I'll screw you so hard that they'll have to pry you off the floor with a pair of pliers..."

"Is that a threat...or a promise?" Nabiki asked as she began to calm down and started playing with Perfume's nipple.

"Take your pick," Perfume leered, but before she could lean forward the door to their chamber opened and in stepped Madam Lao, fully clothed and carrying a folded bundle.

"Glad to see you two are getting along so well," she tossed the bundle of clothing to the floor and added, "Put these on and come with me. I think you've had enough break time together."

"Put these on...?" Nabiki eyed the clothing bundle suspiciously, "What's going on? What are you up to now, Lao?"

"Oh, nothing much," Lao replied, "We have company and I think I've found an interested buyer who would like to see the merchandise in packaging more to his tastes..."

"WHAT?" Nabiki cried archly.

"I'm just kidding," Lao grinned broadly, "You should see your face right now...priceless!"

"What are you really up to, Cousin?" Perfume frowned, in no more hurry to examine the bundle than Nabiki.

"Actually, at the moment, I'm playing hostess to your friends who have come all this way to see you," Lao explained, "Your sister, Akane, is here with Ryoga, Keiko and Kodachi...as well as a couple more of your friends whom I believe you wished to talk to..."

"Who...?" Nabiki started to say when realization caused her to provide her own answer, "Beiko...and Aiko?"

"Got it in one," Lao smiled, "They are guests but I have not detained them...here under a friendship truce, and they have been asking to see you...rather insistent on it, as a matter of fact. They must think that I've done something horrible and abusive to the both of you...imagine..."

"Yeah," Nabiki growled, "Just imagine..."

"I'm on my way to find your husband next, if you'd care to tag along," Lao continued, "And since I am feeling generous at the moment, I won't even put restraints on either one of you, despite going against my wishes by leaving the seraglio without permission."

"How generous of you," Perfume sniffed, then added, "Not."

Nabiki examined the clothing bundle, discovering that there were two light Cheosong silk dresses (with no undergarments, of course) made from ornately woven silken material, very fashionable and attractive looking, but still she frowned, reluctant to accept anything that Lao had to offer.

"Come along now," Lao urged, "You don't want to keep your sister waiting, do you?"

"Well...if you have Akane, then I guess I don't have much of a choice, do I?" Nabiki grumbled, holding up the thin material for closer inspection.

"Oh, I assure you, she's no prisoner of mine," Lao replied, "If anything that honor should go to Kodachi, who appears to have recruited your sister as her personal apprentice. If you have any doubts, go ask her yourself."

"Oh, don't worry, I will," Nabiki glowered as she put on the cheonsang, noting with resentment how high up it rode on her thighs, which meant-due to a lack of panties-that bending down would most likely prove...awkward...and not just because the tight material felt as though it could burst apart if she breathed too deeply.

"Aiyaa," Perfume remarked as she glanced down at the way her own outfit played off her substantial bustline, "I feel like a hooker..."

"I'll buy you one later," Lao promised, "But for now, you don't want to keep your Airen and cousin waiting, do you?"

"Ukyo and Shampoo are also there?" Nabiki said sharply.

"But of course," Lao replied, "After all, this is a family get-together, and I want to show everyone that you are both being well treated. And besides, you must be hungry...for regular food...after so much hard work keeping each other company, I will be happy to provide you with all that you need..."

"But..." Perfume paused, then decided to complete her thought anyway, "Won't our friends and Airen be upset with you when they find out what you were doing to Nabiki?"

"That all depends upon you," Lao smiled, "Feel free to tell them everything, including what you two were just doing here together."

"Ah..." Perfume thought about it and looked somewhat...reluctant.

Nabiki also contemplated what it would be like to explain her own ordeal...and cringed a little at having to describe her previous bound and gagged status to Ranma, so instead she growled, "Damn you."

"A little late for that, don't you think?" Lao turned around and led the way out of the chamber, "This way...I wouldn't want you getting lost. We're convening this in the seraglio, so everyone be on your best behavior, for there will be children present."

"One of these days..." Nabiki murmured softly.

"I think that's what she wants from you," Perfume replied.

"Huh?" Nabiki asked, "What do you mean?"

"Well, think about it," Perfume said, "You defeat her or kill her, you inherit the ship. You lose and she gets to do whatever she wants with you, not to mention the rest of us. I'd suggest we don't play along with her game or give her any more excuses to go any farther than she has. It's not just us involved in this anymore, this now concerns the others."

Nabiki drew in a long, sharp breath then sighed, "You're probably right about that, Perchan, but still...there are times when I really want to kick her ass from here to Calcutta."

"I'll help you if it comes to that," Perfume assured, "But for now we have to behave like this is just another cruise ship and not actually a floating prison. I'm sure the others will be smart enough to pick up enough hints to know from us what we're really up against."

"I hope you're right," Nabiki turned to the lovely girl at her side and said, "You know, you make a pretty good adviser. I could use counseling like that more often."

"I live to serve your needs, Airen," Perfume reverted to sex kitten mode and leered, "In any capacity that pleases you the most."

"Ah..." Nabiki turned away, grateful that she was indeed still female, because if she had been in her male aspect and heart the pretty pussycat beside her talk like that, then he would have had trouble walking straight. Instead she and Perfume filed out together after the amorous ships captain, leaving unstated the fact that they both were still sexually aroused and definitely interested in still screwing with one another in spite of all the sex that they had so far indulged, which definitely meant that this was going to be one VERY awkward and uncomfortable meeting.

The one concern for Nabiki here-outside of finding and being reunited with Shampoo-was finding out what had been keeping Ranma from coming to her rescue. She silently swore that if he were playing with another pretty girl while she had been suffering the torments of the damned (and merchandisable) then she was going to rip his foolish head off. Just which head she meant was open to speculation, but for now she had to bide her time, content that she was at least unchained, unbound and unfettered, a status that could be altered at any moment depending on the perverse whims of a sex-crazed lady pirate...DEFINITELY the thing that one needed to liven up an already convoluted honeymoon scene of wanton excess and debauchery on board the Luxury Love Barge known as the POJ esquire, where all perverted ideas could become reality at the drop of a tentacle...

...And probably would the way her luck was definitely headed...

Continued.

Comments/Criticisms/Continental Drifting: shadowmane

Lao sits down to dinner with the gang as yet one more uninvited guest makes her appearance, but will the stakes here escalate, or does the amorous lady pirate have yet one more ace card remaining to be played? And what of Ryonami and Kasumi? Does Beatrice have her own backup plan in store "just in case" it becomes necessary? Stay with us for next time when the gang returns in: "Burning Hearts for Sale," or "The Power of Positive Attraction..." be there!

X

If you wish to check out my other works, Please check out my Fanfiction webpage at: . All related chapters of this series can be found there along with my other works.  
/pre 


	12. Chapter 12

preDNabikiTHCh12

Nabiki 1/2

"A Very Scary Thought!"

THE HONEYMOON HENTAI CHAPTERS!

By Jim Robert Bader

(Inspired by the works of Rumiko Takahashi Others,  
including people who might be very annoyed with me if I included their names in these credits)

Part Twelve.

HENTAI ALERT, NOW ENTERING THE LEMON-LIME ZONE!  
TURN BACK IF YOUR IDEA OF A GOOD TIME IS A WALK ON THE BEACH HOLDING HANDS WITH YOUR GIRLFRIEND/  
BOYFRIEND/SIGNIFICANT OTHER! THINGS GET A BIT ON THE INTENSE SIDE HERE, AND IF YOU HAVE A PROBLEM WITH THAT, THEN GO READ SOME OTHER FANFIC. I'M TRYING TO HAVE FUN HERE! YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED!

There is a place that hangs over the world where the Over-People live...those charged with the safety of those who dwell upon the blue marble known as Earth. Here a third-generation-manned satellite belonging to those who championed the cause of Justice hung in geosynchronous orbit, the product of both Earth and Thanagarian science and home to a league of paranormally gifted meta-humans who maintained a Stormwatch over the planet.

Here, standing upon the bridge doing monitor duty, a man born on another world stood watching as the automatic controls monitored and recorded the significant events that affected the lives of those who might most be in need of protection. It was all taken care of by a sophisticated computerized system that filtered out the "merely bad" and alerted one of the truly "Earth Shattering" emergencies that one was likely to encounter, the sort well beyond the means of ordinary mortals. It was a necessary filter that helped them concentrate their resources for dealing with the kinds of monumental emergencies that heroes were supposed to cope with...but at the moment the only discernable event of any real significance was not taking place upon the planet but rather on board the satellite itself, at least as far as the one on duty was able to determine.

He was a man truly unique among all others, the last son of a long dead world, whose very appearance of humanity was in itself a carefully calculated illusion. Jon'n Jonz was his name-or at least as far as any Earthling might be able to pronounce it-but to many he was simply known as the Martian Manhunter, itself a misnomer though it would have been difficult for him to explain to most people the actual name of his original home planet. These days being an alien was nothing particularly special, but there was a time when people automatically assumed that anything "out there" was from Mars. Jon'n was truly reluctant to call these the "Good Old Days" (he knew better and they weren't) but it truly was a more innocent time, less cynical about the world...or-at the very least-  
-less inclined to doubt the very name of hero and all that was good and decent for which it stood. Not at all like these young Turks who thought they could show their elders a thing or to, oh no! Try telling them that age and experience were just as important (if not more so) than youthful exuberance and they'd just pat you on the arm and say, "Hey there, old timer, we know enough about the score that we don't need any pointers..."

Jon'n reflected that it was probably a good thing that-in the old days-  
people did just naturally assume that the Earth's protectors were above all the pettiness and squalor that seemed to be the lot of everyday life among mere mortals. A Hero was supposed to stand for something shining and ideal, to embody all that was pure in essence and beyond reproof, so a hero was not supposed to be humping his wife like crazy while shouting out lines like, "YEAH BABY-WHOSE YOUR DADDY-BEG FOR IT!" or other such lines more typical of an adult movie.

Not that Jon'n could hold it against his two best friends (the one in the rear pressurized Zero-G cabin, and shame on you for thinking anything else!) for humping like rabbits after the successful conclusion of yet another space-  
hopping adventure. They had won the day, saved an entire civilization from destruction, put down a galaxy-spanning tyrant and spit death in the eye once again (well, actually nothing as rude as all that, Death being a really nice sort when you got to know her better), surely a little celebration was in order? And so what if the two of them going at it all-out combined to make enough pressure that they may well have blown the whole satellite apart with each climax, were it not for certain measures taken to restrain the collateral forces. As it was the stabilization system was straining mightily to compensate for the added stress currently torturing the system, and yet it was a good thing they were doing this in space and not within a planetary atmosphere for the results could well have been truly catastrophic.

Of course if they were a bit less...enthusiastic...then Jon'n's sensitive nerves might not find the tumult half so grating. He had sensitive hearing, not to mention a lot of other specially endowed senses that made "shutting out" the sound and fury of titanic sex play going on in back much easier to endure. It was times such as these that he was genuinely glad that he was not human, and that his own people were a bit less...demonstrative...about expressions of affection. Of course, he might feel different about it if Zantana were on the station with him during this watch...she was one human woman whom Jon'n never felt alienated just being around, and one who found his...special attributes...to be quite exotic, in fact...

"My Lord," called L-Ron II (called affectionately "Elron"), the faithful AI monitor drone who helped maintain the systems on the satellite far better than any human caretaker, "I am receiving a call on the special line that has been reserved for emergency usage. A lady from Japan says that she was given this number and asked to call a Mister and Mrs. Managi should they happen to be in residence..."

"A girl from Japan?" Jon'n was puzzled about that, but also sufficiently intrigued that he nodded, "Put her through...I'd like to speak with her directly."

"As you wish, Sir," Elron replied, and then a moment later he spoke internally and said, "You may speak freely, Ma'am, his Lordship will deign to address you directly."

"His lordship?" a puzzled voice asked in roughly translated Japanese, converted to English by a helpful Elron.

"Hello," Jon'n replied, then corrected himself, "I mean...Mushi-mushi...do I understand that you wish to speak to a Clark and Diana Managi?"

"Um...yes...if it's not too much trouble," the girl said shyly, "My name is Ryonami...I'm calling on behalf of some friends...they asked me to call in case I didn't hear from them and...well...it has been a few hours, but I wanted to call anyway...just in case..."

"Just in case of what?" Jon'n asked, "You don't need to be nervous, Miss Ryonami-san, if you have this number, then you probably have legitimate business to make it worth calling."

"Well...all right," the girl said reluctantly, "The person on whose behalf I'm calling is their daughter, Alison Managi..."

"Alison?" if Jon'n had ears in the conventional (as opposed to the faux-ears he manifested to appear more human) sense they would have perked up at that moment as he said, "I know her quite well...in fact, I was at her christening. How is she faring these days?"

"Oh...she's...well," Ryonami hesitated by a slight fraction, "Um...look...I may be worrying over nothing, but when she and Beatrice-san left here they were worried that they might not be able to get back to me right away, so they gave me this number to call in case of an emergency. The deadline hasn't elapsed yet, but...well...considering who her parents are and all..."

"I...see..." Jon'n said slowly, "Then...I take it you already know the particulars about Ali-chan?"

"If you mean do I know who her parents are, you bet," the girl said simply, "Um...look...maybe I should call back later when I'm sure that there's an actual emergency, but...well...I just wanted you to know in case I needed to call...er...did that make any sense?"

"I'm...not certain," Jon'n admitted, "Could you perhaps state the nature of the almost-emergency so that I can tell Alison's parents why you are so concerned for her welfare?"

"I'd love to, honestly, but...Ali-san told me that I was only to tell her folks if it was an actual emergency. Look...I'll call back later, you've been very nice to me, really, but...sayonara."

And with that she broke the connection.

"Elron?" Jon'n asked.

"Way ahead of you, your Lordship," the AI replied, "I traced her call the moment I received it. She's calling from an apartment in the Nerima ward near Tokyo, and I even have an address handy if you wish to further investigate..."

"Thank you," Jon'n said, pausing to add, "Just as soon as things quiet down back there, inform Kal and Diana that they have a...situation concerning their daughter..."

"Again?" Elron seemed to electronically blanch, "I thought they moved from Graviton City to get away from this sort of thing?"

"So did I," Jon'n sighed, his imagination supplying far too many likely details over what sort of "emergency" his God-daughter might have gotten into, "I wonder if the Avengers ever have days like this? Times like these, I really need a Twinkie..."

"I'll make it a double, Sir," Elron replied, and dutifully went about fulfilling his regular functions...

Ryonami fretted as she stared at the phone that she had just set back on its cradle, wondering if she had done the right thing by using that number, and shaking a bit from the simple awe of having placed a call to the people she knew would be receiving her on the other end. Being something of an Otaku at heart, she naturally had big eyes at the thought of actually meeting some of her favorite heroes in person, even if only in a casual, matter-of-fact kind of way.

The thing for her was that her concern for Nabiki, her beloved Sempai, who had been missing for well over a good forty-eight hours and in the clutches of someone whom she neither trusted nor even liked, a woman who-in the past-had even made an effort to ENSLAVE Nabiki-sama, and who could hardly be expected to pass up on the opportunity to take advantage of her now, was driving Ryonami to distraction. Sitting as she was at the monitor screen inside Alison and Beatrice's apartment, she had been monitoring the satellite relays as instructed, only to see their signal disappear off the screen a good two hours ago, when Beiko-san had last reported. That was enough to make Ryonami cross her toes and fingers, hoping that the rest of her friends had not all wound up casualties of Madam Lao's insatiable lust, not that Ryonami could blame the lady pirate for wanting to claim possession of her Sempai, and after all, what Hentai in their right mind would pass up on the prospect?

And was it getting warm in there, or was it just Ryonami that was heating up a bit just contemplating what Nabiki might be going through at the moment. Of course she also thought the same about Ranma, and what went with one tended to go with the other...but mostly she fretted about the whole situation, wishing that somebody would call in before she had to leave to meet up with her mother for dinner, which effectively would mean leaving the whole matter unresolved until the next morning. What a suckie way to spend the summer break when she would much rather be out shopping (or even spending more time with that dynamic Keiko-what a tongue that girl had! Her loins were still humming like a song ever since enjoying her first taste of cunnalingus...). She hoped that everyone would be all right, but that was the whole point to all this, wasn't it, with her imagination all afire with wondering just what had happened to Ranma and Nabiki...

"Whoah!" Ranma cried as he lunged for the speeding ball as Breeze hit a pop-fly that bounced off the far wall and came rebounding back at him almost too fast for him to counter.

He would have thought that a ten year old girl could barely even know how to hold a bat, let alone prove to be such a powerful slugger who could even nail his fastball slider, something other guys seven years older than Breeze had been unable to master. With a bit of effort Ranma caught the ball after the first bounce, but that meant the hit was good and that Breeze had scored on him again. That left the score at four to three with Ranma on the losing end, a fact that made him fairly twitch with outraged pride, wondering how he could ever live this down if anyone found out about this back in Nerima.

Still and all he was impressed with Breeze, who was a quick-witted study who adapted well and used her size to an advantage. For someone not even at the point of puberty, this pale-blue haired girl had a lot on the ball and hardly even seem to mind that she was working a lot harder even than Ranma with a competitive streak that would have done justice to Nabiki.

"Not bad," Ranma said as he watched Breeze circle the diamond and head for home plate, idly tossing the ball and out of his mitt while waiting for her to complete the circuit, "You've gotta real good swing there...never saw anybody slice it up like that before..."

"What you really mean is, 'not bad for a girl,' right?" Breeze asked as she bent down to retrieve her bat, "Bet you thought you'd have to take it easy with me and didn't expect this kind of workout, right?"

Ranma made a face and growled, "Watch it there, nobody likes a smart mouth. And besides, you ain't just some girl, right?"

"Right," Breeze replied, then sighed, "I'm a girl because Momma made me like this...but I used to be a boy too...well, sometimes I am, sometimes I'm not..."

"Ah..." Ranma paused felt awkward for a moment, "Sorry...didn't mean to bring that up..."

"Oh?" Breeze asked, "Why?"

"Well," Ranma felt the back of his head as he searched for an explanation, "It must be...kind of weird changing around like that...turning into a girl, I mean..."

"What wrong with me being a girl?" Breeze asked, "It's being part boy that's kind of freaky."

"It is?" Ranma blinked.

"Being a girl's natural, especially around here," Breeze replied, looking down for a moment and adding, "I'm glad Momma did this to me. She says most guys...don't know how to behave around girls...she says that being able to switch back and forth like this give me some kind of pros...por...perspective? Yeah, that's the word I'm looking for, right?"

"Perspective?" Ranma repeated, "Is that what you call it?"

"Well...I never got a chance to know my real dad," Breeze said awkwardly, "He was some kind of Musk Prince, and Momma says they chains their women and keep them hidden away like prisoners...or something like that. She says my dad did something...very bad to her that made her not like him, and then he gave her the Tiger curse, and she ate him. Doesn't sound very smart, does it?"

"Ah...well..." Ranma conceded the point, amazed to learn that the child knew this much of her own origins.

"Momma risked a lot to get me back," Breeze continued, "She, Lotus and Blossom even got themselves banned from the regular Amazon society in order to take me back from the Musk, otherwise I might have grown up to be just like my father. It was because I was a boy that the other Amazons turned against her, so Momma took me to Jusenkyo and made me like this..." she spread her hands to show off her naked body, and Ranma fought the urge to flinch away, not being comfortable with the idea of looking on a girl this far from maturity...even a girl who was a boy at the very center.

"So you...like being a girl?" Ranma faltered.

"Well, so far it doesn't seem too bad," Breeze shrugged, "But Momma says that I'm almost old enough to start bleeding with a menstrual cycle, and I've seen how that works with the other women. I should also start growing breasts real soon, and then I really will be a woman, but...well...I'm not looking forward to the cramps and stuff, but I understand guys have to shave their balls, so I guess growing up's got problems either way..."

"Shave our...?" Ranma blinked, "Who told you that?"

"One of the older girls," Breeze shrugged, "They're like my older Aunts, and they treat me like I'm special. Since guys aren't normally allowed around the harem, I have to rely on them to tell me stuff about men, and a lot of it doesn't sound all that good. Some guys really did bad stuff with a lot of them, y'know, that made they turn away from men, and...it kind of embarrasses me when they call me the 'Little Master.' I'd rather be the 'Little Mistress' than remind them about stuff like that."

"Hey," Ranma said defensively, "Not all guys are mean to women..."

"Well, Momma says you're not all that bad," Breeze said, "But you got four women who could beat you up if you didn't treat them right..."

"Uh..." Ranma winced slightly, "You...may have a point about that..."

"But a lot of the girls around here aren't really what you'd call fighters," Breeze shrugged, "Momma says she likes them that way, but she also likes the ones who do put up a fight, and she trains a few to be almost as good as Amazons, and then there are the Protectors...they're the women Momma hires to do a lot of the fighting around here. Some day I'm gonna be a great fighter myself, and then I'll have a harem of my own and I'll protect them against guys who don't know how to be with women..."

"You mean...you want to grow up to be just like your mother," Ranma said blandly.

"Yes," Breeze said guardedly, "What's wrong with that?"

"Kid," Ranma sighed, "You know what it is your mother does for a living?"

"Sure," Breeze said, "She liberates other women from the chains of society and trains them on how to have fun. I already knows that she sells a few to men who want to have their own harems, but she's real careful in how she selects her clients and she'd never sell a girl to any guy who didn't deserve her. And she even has women clients too, so...what about it?"

Ranma opened his mouth to say something about that, then closed it again and really studied the child before him, "You really don't understand, do you? You've never been off this ship, so you don't know what it's like out there in the real world?"

"I know enough from my studies," Breeze bristled, "There's a lot of fighting and bad stuff with corrupt politicians and guys who rig elections to help their brothers and everything. I don't see that I'm missing all that much, except..."

"Except?" Ranma asked.

"Well..." Breeze paused before adding, "...I think I'd...like to ride on a pony sometime...I mean, we have Pony-women, and they're fun to ride, but...it's not the same as riding a real horse, is it?"

"Well..." Ranma began to answer that, then paused and blinked his eyes, "Pony women?"

"Yeah," Breeze affirmed, "Mom trains them in a different area of the ship. I could show you the stables, the girls there spend a lot of time being all tied up and conditioned, but they're real nice to talk to when they're not gagged with bridles..."

Ranma's mind froze up a bit as he tried to picture a woman wearing a saddle, and unwittingly conjured up the image of Nabiki with a bridle in her mouth, scowling at him and daring him to make something about the matter...

Breeze, being largely innocent about such things, failed to catch the odd look that crossed the older boy's features as she continued on rather blithely, "...Of course, I've ridden on the back of a dolphin several times...they're real chatty and like to talk about fish and stuff, but they know so much about the sea and they can tell you what other dolphins are doing on the other side of the ocean..."

"Are we having a good time here?" Lao's voice caused Ranma to whirl around and fall into a defensive crouch, only to blink his eyes as he saw Perfume and Nabiki...CLOTHED? (Well...sort of...) And in a pair of cheonsangs that looked as though they were about to split down the sides and burst loose at the chest level at any second, while Lao was in her Captain garb, minus that silly Tri-  
corner hat she sometimes used for effect and...

"Momma!" Breeze cried with delight, only to pause and blink her eyes, "You're not...naked?"

"We have new guests," Lao replied, turning to Ranma, "I'm sorry to interrupt your fun, but I need for you to put something on that will appear to be at least semi-decent. Have you been having a good time with my daughter?"

"Uh...yeah," Ranma began to relax a little, finding the entire situation to be highly...awkward, which did not even begin to cover the way that Nabiki was glaring at him with a look that was pure accusation.

"It's was great, Momma," Breeze ginned hugely, "The Concubines were beating the Posse by four to three, and it's only the forth inning!"

"You mean..." Nabiki's tone went arched, "That YOU"VE been playing GAMES here while I've been stuck in another hold all this time, RANMA?"

Ranma began sweating bullets, silently admitting to himself that few people could put as much of an arch into their meaning as Nabiki when she got good and properly annoyed about something.

"Ah...look...it's not what you think...!" Ranma began to say in his own defense, "I didn't do nothing wrong, I..."

"You were babysitting for Lao while I was out rescuing our wife, is that what you mean, Saotome?" Perfume seemed more amused than annoyed, but she could not help wanting to put the screws to her husband by teasing him about this.

"Well, that...uh...wasn't what I had in mind, but..." Ranma stammered defensively.

"How could you?" Nabiki stormed up to him with a hurt expression, "Do you have any idea what I've been going through for the past twenty-four hours, Mister?"

"Twenty-seven," Perfume automatically corrected, "It's been that long since you stormed away to confront Cousin Lao and..."

"WHATEVER!"

"Huh?" Ranma blinked, "What's wrong? What happened to you? What did she do to you, Nabiki?"

"What did she do to me?" Nabiki started to fume, "She-ah," and all at once she found herself tongue-tied, unwilling to state for the record the humiliating list of complaints that she had, of being tied up and dangled by ropes from the rafters, of hanging around naked with a group of similarly restrained women while a catheter was shoved up her rear and attached to her clitoris for...waste extraction, all because Lao's Undines were not allowed to touch her and...then Perfume coming to her rescue, only to wind up being locked into a room in Neko mode with her and...Nabiki colored abruptly and said, "Never mind..." in a hasty manner.

Ranma just blinked his eyes and said, "Huh?"

"Never mind, Airen," Perfume reassured, "It's a girl thing, you wouldn't understand."

"Uh...yeah, right," Ranma prudently decided not to further address the subject, judging that it must have been very serious to make Nabiki blush that peculiar color, which meant it was not worth his life to ask about it, but he glared appropriately at Lao, suspecting the pirate of all sorts of unspeakable mischief.

"Shall we go now?" Lao asked, "Our dinner guests await, and I promised that I would produce you shortly. They seem to think that I've done something truly awful to the both of you, and we can't have them thinking that, now can we?"

"Yeah," Nabiki turned her icy glare upon their nominal 'hostess', "Right."

"Who are our guests this time, Momma?" Breeze asked, "New customers who want to buy a few of our women?"

"Not exactly," Lao replied, "More like...friends of the family. I'll introduce you to them, now...this way lightly, children..."

Lila frowned as she circled one area of the ocean once again, her instincts telling her that she was on the right trail, feeling the currents swell in a most unusual way around one particular cloud that was drifting low over the level of the water. That had to be significant, she reasoned, a dimensional inversion of some sort, and she had hung around with the team known as Fem Force long enough to know that there were few coincidences in the world that were not worth a closer investigation.

That had to be where Joan had gone missing...a portable Bermuda Triangle no less, which only made sense given Joan's predilection to getting herself in all kinds of really unusual and rather awkward trouble. Well, no matter what mess she was up to her neck in this time, Lila would still come and bail her out, just as she knew that Joan would move heaven and earth to come to her aid if she were in danger. Whoever this lady pirate-slaver character was, she had better watch out, because Lila was coming and ready to tear a whole battleship apart with her bare hands if that was what it took to be reunited with her lover...and she could do it, too, if really pressed to the matter, being a Mistress of Magnetism, and by definition no one to lightly anger.

"{Hold on, Rad...I'm coming,}" she murmured aloud as she started her descent, a living meteor who glided back into the atmosphere under her own power, and not the least effected by the superheated air that formed around her mental shielding. The envelope of air that she had brought with her was nearly exhausted, and she would be breathing clean air once again shortly, so she hurried herself along, secure in the knowledge that there was very little in the world that could resist her mutant gifts. It was not her own safety that concerned her, after all, it was Rad, Rad and anyone else whose personal safety was in jeopardy, but mainly Rad, the light of her life and source of so much personal vexation...

"Well now," Lao said as she sat down on a pile of pillows that formed her personal divan, surrounded by many of her attentive ladies, who had adopted light "harem costumes" for the occasion, "Since we've all been formally introduced to one another, let me officially welcome you to my seraglio and home away from the office. Feel free to partake of the rare delicacies that you see on display, and do try the food while you're at it. My women have gone to a lot of extra trouble to prepare it for this special occasion."

"Interesting," Martha glanced around the spacious room, "Didn't know you had anything this large inside your ship...and it certainly is...different from your regular cabin..."

"I use that mainly to conduct office work," Lao smiled, "And for personal one-  
on-one encounters. Here is my real home, the place where I hang up my spurs and...anything else that might possibly get in the way of having a good time. These women are my family and tribe, they serve me loyally, and they are very good when it comes to providing entertainment."

"Ah yes," Beatrice smiled, having swapped her Akagiyama armor for something more fashionably relaxed, which displayed a lot more flesh than Alison-who was at her side, like always-felt comfortable about, "A virtual Sultan's dream of paradise, I can see how you would feel right at home in these environs..."

"Watch it," Alison growled, being also dressed in something more relaxed but a bit less...flaunty than the "barely legal" outfits of these "kept women" who belonged to Lao, some of whom were dressed in such shockingly revealing attire that it would have put a blush on Barbara Eden, and the last thing she needed in her life was for someone to put ideas like that into the mind of a Hentai like Beatrice!

"Ah, home sweet home," Kodachi mused, "Has it only been a few months that we've been away, Keiko darling?"

"At least three months, I think," Keiko replied with a smile, "But some things never change, and that's the way I like it."

"Really?" Akane asked, eyeing the silken furnishings as if trying to imagine what it would be like to live comfortably in such surroundings.

Ryoga was much less comfortable about it at her side, but mainly because of the way the women just seemed to be **noticing** him in a coy yet not-too-subtle manner, as though he were suckling pig lightly braised in sauce on a waiting platter or something of that nature. Those hungry smiles, and much licking of their lips, made him conscious about being one of the only two MEN currently in residence amid this ship-borne "village of horny young women."

Nabiki-who had just sat down beside Ranma-was not looking at the place with anything nearly so cordial in her expression. To her this place was a gilded cage, nothing more nor less, and the chatting, happy little hens infesting it-  
though beautiful even by her standards-were convicted convicts locked together on life sentences who had for some reason decided that this was acceptable and were determined to make the best of their situations...with a handy amount of Mind Control to insure that their loyalty remained absolute to their Warden.

Ranma was not so guarded or judgmental about the place, having yet to make up his own mind about the whole idea behind owning a harem, having some rough idea of what a demand that put upon the nominal "Lord" of such a place, what with the responsibilities that came with all the pleasure. Trying to satisfy the demands of over a score of women must have taken an exceptional degree of stamina, he reasoned, and Lao was not only a lover but a **provider** for these people. Their every need had to be served by Lao in order to insure their care and safety was insured, and given that many of these women had **children** to look after...he had to privately admit that he was impressed at how Lao managed to carry it off and still look so trouble-free and cheerful on the matter.

Shampoo and Ukyo-also near to their sides (and eyeing these other women with wary gazes that as much as said "Back off Girls, they're Mine!")-were happy to greet Perfume back into their midst, but they also had a lot of questions for her, questions that the "barely dressed" Enforcer found more than a bit...awkward, not wanting to explain in details how she had found Nabiki and nearly gotten eaten. Though they pleaded and cajoled her (and hinted at the possible resort of torture in the offing), she was only so forthcoming in her explanations about why it had taken three hours for her to track down both Nabiki and Ranma. The only thing that she would concede was that she was feeling a lot better about her Airen and the entire five-way marriage arrangement.

"Now then," Lao resumed, "As you can see, I have produced the goods, and they have been treated well by myself and my crew, or...at much so as could be reasonably expected."

Nabiki almost gagged on her drink, and if she were not so utterly ravenous in her hunger and thirst she would have refused the food on general principles, but there was no sense starving to make a point, not that Lao would refrain from forcing her to eat by other methods.

Martha was staring at the young girl tearing into her food like some manner of wild beast, the only person in the room who did not seem to be enjoying her time aboard the ship, and who-strange enough-made Martha feel a curious sort of kinship. Though clearly Japanese, this girl resembled Martha in a way that was uncanny, and yet she was protectively surrounded by at least three other girls, and the handsome boy beside her, whom Martha was given to understand was the girl's recently wed husband.

She understood that the harem normally had a "clothing free" policy, and-oddly enough-that would have suited her own mood rather well under the circumstances. That said "clothing" was hardly the sort of thing one would wear to a formal setting, it felt easier to relax and indulge in the feeling of silk against her skin, the absence of any undergarments giving a sensuous, almost naughty sense of shameless bravado that she was finding highly appealing. Indeed, this whole atmosphere was helping her to relax and lose a lot of her regular inhibitions, and she could not remember the last time she felt so good about herself. It vaguely disturbed the Puritan ethic within her to be this "laid back" and sensualistic, but Martha decided to adopt a "When in Rome" attitude and followed the lead of their charming and disarming hostess.

"Hey Ranchan," the one named Ukyo suddenly spoke up, "I hear you were playing ball games with Lao's kid..."

"Indeed?" the sultry one named Kodachi mused, "Showing off your balls before minors, Saotome? That is so unlike you..."

"HEY!" the boy-Ranma was it?-reacted to the good-natured teasing, "It ain't like that! The kid just asked me to play with her, so what's the big deal..."

"The Big Deal?" his wife-Nabiki was her name?-asked archly, "Have you forgotten where we are, Ranma? We're not in a day care service, you know, and in some places that would be called 'Fraternization with the Enemy.'"

"The enemy?" Ranma looked at her, "She's just a kid!"

"I'm not just a kid!" Breeze (the annoying little girl who had earlier exposed Martha to Kryptonite) protested, "I'm almost eleven!"

"Yeah?" Nabiki asked, "They why weren't you playing with the other kids?"

"But they're just babies!" Breeze protested, "The oldest one of them is seven!"

Martha almost choked on her drink as laughter bubbled up from inside her. Lao noticed this and asked, "Are you all right? Is something amusing you, darling?"

Martha turned a surprised look at her nominal "captor" and said, "Darling?"

"Well," Lao shrugged, "If that's not too familiar sounding, or would you prefer that I call you Ms. Kent?"

"Hmm...well...under the circumstances..." Martha shrugged, "I suppose it would be all right..."

"Uh...Sis, Oneechan?" Alison glanced at her, "Are you feeling all right?"

"Hmm?" Martha turned back to the redhead, "Why do you ask, Ally-chan?"

"Well, it's just...weird...seeing you like this, if you know what I mean," Alison said uncomfortably.

"I suppose it does seem...unusual," Martha conceded, but then decided to turn the point back in the other direction, "But what about you? I've been meaning to ask you about that baby of yours..."

"Ah...yes..." Beatrice said nervously, "Our baby...I rather thought that would come up in conversation sooner or later..."

"Don't look at me," Alison hooked a thumb at her nominal partner, "It was Beiko's idea to knock me up. She used one of her Nanoprobe whatsis to cross some of her DNA with mine and-presto-instant baby!"

"Say what?" Martha blinked, "She did...what?"

"Nanotechnology," Beatrice replied, "A while back I encountered...some alien technology that was used to save my life. As a consequence, I carry within me a colony of microscopic artificial life forms that I can use to my advantage in many...interesting ways..."

"Tell me about it," Nabiki spoke up as she set aside her drinking glass, "In fact, I was just going to bring that up myself in another minute."

"Ah..." Beatrice suddenly appeared twice as uneasy as before, "You...found out about that, eh?"

"Tell me...Beiko," Nabiki managed to construe the word to make it sound downright nasty, "How long were you going to leave me in the dark about your little...project? And did it ever occur to you to consult with me about it in the first place?"

"Ah...well, I did obtain a partial consent from you before," Beatrice hastily explained, "Do you remember a while back my offering to help assist you in finding a cure for your...rather unique condition?"

"I..." Nabiki paused, "...I remember you said something about that...but I told you not to bother..."

"You told me that you doubted that I could do anything for you, then thanked me for making the offer," Beatrice said gently, "I took it as a bit of a challenge, you see, to prove to you that my Science could be effective even when employed against the ensorcelment that prevents you from having a child. Of course when I designed my experiment it was with the intent of proving you wrong, but I only meant to study your condition. I gave the probe secondary instructions to seek and preserve a child if a fertilized egg were found within you, but I certainly am not the one who would have forced you to become pregnant."

"Why make her the exception?" Alison asked, "You did it to me without asking."

"I did ask, Aiko-chan," Beatrice replied with a slight shrug, "Retroactively..."

"Retroactive," Alison sniffed, "I oughta retro you for pulling a stunt like this, and where do you get off doing this to Nabiki after you promised me you wouldn't go around doing stuff like that without peoples' permission? You ever hear of the Nuremberg laws, Beiko?"

"That's quite enough," Lao spoke up, "Clearly there are merits to both sides of the issue, but let us be fair and acknowledge that your wife did not intend you any mischief...nor did she seek to harm a friend, even if she could have been a bit more tactful about the whole matter."

"And what business is if of yours, might I ask?" Nabiki turned her glare towards the captain.

"Why, as your consulting physician, I should think that entitles me to rendering a medical opinion," Lao beamed, "Having a magically-enhanced embryo growing within you is something you should already understand from Kuonji and cousin Shampoo's two examples...and as the maternal progress of the child within you is already maturing at four times the normal rate of cellular division, I think it behooves me to point out that your offspring is a going concern, which thus leaves you with a very important decision to be made about whether or not you intend to keep this unplanned and unexpected pregnancy, or if you would rather abort it."

"A-Abort it?" Nabiki blanched.

"Hey!" Ranma protested, "It's my kid too, you know...isn't it?" he looked questioningly at Nabiki.

"What do you mean is it yours?" Nabiki growled, then paused and looked at Beatrice, "It is...isn't it?"

"It's not mine, if that's what you mean," Beatrice replied, "I didn't program the probe to impregnate you with my DNA, as I did with Aiko..."

"It better not be yours," Nabiki glared, "But if I find out it has white hair..."

"Excuse me," Martha spoke up, "Am I the only one here who finds this a little...shocking? I mean...you're having a baby with another woman, Ally-chan? And...this young woman is your...?"

"Wife?" Alison finished for her, "What's the matter, Oneechan? You think I was gonna have my kid out of wedlock?"

"We had a ceremony in which I posed as the husband," Beatrice explained, "It was a Shinto wedding, a friendly priest performed the ceremony. It's not strictly legal or binding by the laws of Japan, but with a marriage certificate that fictitiously presents Aiko-chan as the wife of my non-existent male half, she escapes the stigma normally attached to unmarried women in Japan, even if her so-called husband is me, officially her sister-in-law, and thus close enough to her legally to be entitled to some of the benefits of cohabitation."

Martha shook her head and said, "Weird...but I guess...if it's your life...but what does Dad have to say about all this?"

"Um...well..." Alison winced, "He's not entirely...happy about it...but Mom gave us her blessings..."

"She would," Martha frowned, her tone somewhat disapproving.

"Actually," Kodachi spoke up, "Your sister's case is not without precedence. Kei-chan and I share the benefits of a union that is almost a marriage in every important sense of the word, and then there is the example set forth by our good friends over there. Nabiki and Ranma are, after all, co-married to three other women, two of whom have had children together."

"Ah...excuse me?" Martha blinked, turning to look at the five youths in question, "I thought that boy was married to...Nabiki, was it?"

"Er, yes..." Nabiki said somewhat awkwardly, "Ranma's my husband but...well...I also have a wife...Sham-chan here..."

"Nabiki Shampoo first Airen," Shampoo replied, "Is done by laws of Joketsuzoku."

"Wait a second," Martha asked, "You married that girl and her name is...Shampoo?"

"That's right, Sugar," Ukyo answered, "And Ranchan's also my husband, too, while Perfume here is my cutie."

"Hah?" Martha blinked again, looking at Ranma, "You're married to two women?"

"Er...no," Ranma replied, "I'm married to all four."

"But...how...?" Martha asked.

"Ranchan married me the same time he married Nabchan," Ukyo explained, "It was a double ceremony, only we worked it so that Nabchan and me shared co-equal bidding. Strictly speaking we did bend the law a little, but we each have marriage certificates that make it official."

"There were...complicating factors that we had to take into consideration," Nabiki added, "And with more than a little legal finagling on my part to make sure that the authorities looked the other way, thus allowing us both to satisfy an obligation of honor to both of our two families. Shampoo and Perfume just came with the package."

"So you...both agreed to marry this boy," Martha slowly started to work things out, "And you other girls are all right about this?"

"Aiyaa," Shampoo grinned, "Is much, much happy!"

"Couldn't be more happy about it," Perfume agreed with obvious enthusiasm.

"But I understand that there are also...children involved here?" Martha blinked as she saw a pair of blue-skinned attendants sauntering into the room, both of them holding tiny infants in their translucent arms, which same they presented to their respective mothers.

"Whoop," Ukyo said as she accepted her tiny newborn infant, "Guess it's time to feed the little nippers again..."

"Could be worse," Shampoo said as she wasted no time in baring one of her large bosoms, "At least no have to change diapers with nice Blue womens helping."

Martha took a long moment before she said, "You've already had two babies? How long have you been married?"

"Actually," Ranma rubbed the back of his head as he replied, "We only just got married. This is supposed to be our honeymoon..."

"You fathered those babies before you even got married?" Martha tried to work out if that were what was meant by an "honor obligation," or giri.

"Oh, they're not mine...at least...not that way," Ranma amended lamely, "Guess maybe I am sort-of their step-dad now, but..."

"I fathered one of them," Perfume admitted, "And Nabiki fathered the other one on my cousin."

There was an almost audible "blink-blink" coming from Martha and then she said, "You want to run that one by me again? You mean...you two girls...?"

"Ah...it's...kind of complicated," Nabiki winced slightly.

"But I thought she said that you couldn't have children?" Martha pointed to Beatrice, then at Nabiki.

"Not on my own...at least...I didn't think I could," Nabiki blushed then said, "Oh wow...it's just now sinking in on me...I'm...I'm carrying Ranma's baby...?"

"But not for long unless you choose to act," Lao cautioned, "At the moment the probe is protecting the child from any collateral effects brought about by your...condition, but the spell I cast over you won't last forever, and the power of Jusenkyo cannot be set aside for any great length of time...at least not by any means of which I am aware, and I consider myself something of an expert on Jusenkyo."

"You mean...I'll revert back and..." Nabiki swallowed.

"That is why I am proposing to help you out here," Lao noted, "Your body will eventually reject the child...it cannot be helped. Sooner or later you will miscarry, and that will end what is-to date-the only real chance that you and Ranma will have to make a baby together. It's still too early to know if it will be a girl or a boy baby, but either way..."

"Ain't there something we can do?" Ranma asked while Nabiki continued to think it over.

"That is why I am offering to help you," Lao replied, "There is one solution that can avoid the problems brought on by your Jusenkyo curse, and that is to have some other woman volunteer to be its surrogate mother."

"It's...surrogate?" Nabiki asked.

"If another woman were to agree to accept your child as an implantation, then that woman would become its surrogate mother and could deliver the child as both healthy and normal," Lao explained, "It would be a simple enough matter for me to move the embryo from one womb into another, but the question is...which woman will do this favor for you, taking a few months out of her life in order to have your baby?"

Beatrice sighed, "I am the obvious candidate...I owe it to Nabiki for putting her in this unusual situation.

"What?" Alison blinked, "No way! You're womb belongs to me, and if you're gonna have any anyone's kid, it's gonna me mine, you got that?"

"I did promise you that I would have your next baby, Aiko-chan," Beatrice replied, "But as a matter of simple justice I want to make it up to Nabiki for acting without her permission..."

"Hold on a minute, Sugar," Ukyo said, "I think if anybody's going to be having this kid, it ought to be someone who's already in our little marriage circle, and that makes me the obvious candidate. I've already had one baby, so I know what's involved here..."

"Shampoo no mind have baby by Airen," Shampoo said, "Is much great honor, and having baby give Shampoo much, much pleasure..."

"Ah," Ranma blanched a little, remembering full well what had happened the last time that they had rushed the purple-haired Amazon to the hospital.

"You two are obvious choices," Lao noted, "And your bodies are already well adapted for bearing new offspring, but...I think it would be better if you both rested a bit between pregnancies. No sense rushing back into the fold prematurely..."

"I could do it," Keiko spoke up, "I've always wanted to have a bit of Nabiki in me, and it might be fun trying my hand at being a mother."

"I could do it also," Akane spoke up, "Nabiki's my sister, and wouldn't that help the baby's chances if the mother is another Tendo?"

"That's very good thinking," Lao complimented, "Genetic compatibility is indeed an important factor, in fact, it is a good thing to have multiple potential candidates to select from in a matter of this sensitivity and importance. The question remains up to you, Nabiki...do you want this baby to be born, and-if so-who would you prefer to be its surrogate mother?"

"Ah...well..." Nabiki blanched, suddenly finding all the food that she had wolfed down was not entirely to her liking.

"There is no rush to decide, of course," Lao said, "A few days more will not hurt in any event..."

"That's assuming I want to wait a few more days around here," Nabiki scowled, which reminds me...how did the rest of you get here?"

"Ahm..." Alison winced slightly, "We...sort of borrowed my mom's invisible plane..."

"Ally?" Martha arched an eyebrow.

"Well, at the time it seemed like we didn't have any choice!" Alison protested, "We thought you guys were in danger, especially you, Oneechan and...hey...what about Joan? Why isn't she here?"

"She's...being taken care of," Martha replied, "There's...something that Madam Lao brought to my attention about my daughter..."

"She's in detox, right?" Keiko asked.

Martha blinked, "How can you possibly know...?"

"It's been done before," Keiko turned to Lao, "My lady takes in many strays who wind up on the high seas, like me, and some of them are addicts. The Kraken helps clean out their systems and restores their brain chemistry, but it also has to purge them of the **desire** to further poison their bodies. That's what's happening now, right? I've been watching the way you've been acting like your mind is somewhere else, my Lady."

"Indeed," Kodachi said, "This is similar to the process that you used upon me and Keiko's mother?"

"Right on both points," Lao said, clearing her throat, "There are just two things that make this...somewhat different from those other occasions, one being that Joan Wayne Kent has a lot of...personal demons that need to be purged...and the other being that those toxins that have been flushed out of her body...well...some of them have proven to be...unexpectedly potent..."

"Is that a problem?" Martha asked in some concern.

"Not entirely," Lao smiled a bit awkwardly, "But the feedback to me is...unusual, to say the least. I should have known that any chemical agent that could have such a strong effect on a Kryptonian's physiology might have an...unexpected effect upon the Kraken...only temporary, of course, but..."

"You and the Kraken will be all right, won't you, Mistress?" Kodachi asked in mild distress.

"Oh yes..." Lao leaned back with a silly grin, "But...for the next few hours...I think I'm going to have the HAPPIEST Kraken in these seven seas, I..."

All at once she ship lurched suddenly, and the hull seemed to groan and strain as if great force and pressure was being exerted against it.

"What the heck was that?" Ranma gasped.

"I...don't know," Lao shifted her focus back to a serious frame of mind and stared up at the ceiling, "Oh dear...more company already? This is getting to be a habit..."

"Who?" Martha asked.

"Good question," Beatrice mused, "There are so many of us here already."

"You think maybe Ryonami jumped the gun and called in my Mom and Dad already?" Alison asked.

"I should hope not," Lao turned to Martha, "Would you care to come with me to investigate?"

"I'm game for that," Martha replied.

"Good," Lao gestured and an Undine sprang up from the floor and formed an automatic portal. Lao took Martha by the hand and together they leaped through the space, briefly traveling through solid water as Martha gasped in amazement, feeling a world of shining blue surrounding her in all directions...

And then they emerged out the other side, arriving on the main deck as a second Undine had formed a portal for her Mistress. Martha had by now regained the power of flight, so she hovered above the deck even as Lao touched down on the wooden surface, and both of they turned to gaze at the overwhelming sight that greeted them on arrival, of Lao's crew being terrorized and her mercenary force rendered helpless by a heavenly apparition against whom their weapons were not only useless but a definite liability!

"I asked you once, now I'll ask you again," said a levitating girl whose short-  
cropped reddish-gold hair swirled around her face while her body hovered in the air as though floating on an invisible current, and the air itself seemed oppressively thick with an unexpected pressure as she growled out in English, "{Where is Rad, and what have you people done with her?}"

"{POLARIS?}" Martha blurted.

"{That's Polaria to you,}" the redhead turned to eye Martha, "{Polaris was already taken...and...hey! It's...you?}"

"{What do you mean, Me?}" Martha replied, but then to the surprise of the redhead she saw the brown haired demi-Kryptonian smile at her, "{Are you here to rescue my daughter? My, how...gallant...}"

"{Look, I don't want any trouble,}" Lila was immediately on her guard, "{I just want to know where Rad is and where these people have taken her. She came all this way to rescue you, and I won't leave without...}"

"{Oh, I understand about all that,}" Martha said calmly, "{But there's no reason for you to be upset or to take it out upon these people. As you can see I'm just fine, and as for Joan...well...Lila...may I call you, Lila? Or maybe I should call you...daughter?}"

"{Huh?}" Lila blanched, "{Say what...what did you call me?}"

"{Well,}" Martha shrugged, "{You are the next best thing to being my daughter-  
in-law, so I might as well call you that, right?}"

There was a very long pause and then Lila said, "{All right, who are you, and what have you done with the real Power Woman?}"

For some reason Martha found that enormously amusing, and after all the strangeness that she had been forced to absorb over the last day, she felt as if she needed a good laugh, especially seeing the comical expression in the lovely features of the other woman.

"{Polaria,}" Lao spoke up, having already signaled for her women to fall back once again so that she might deal with the matter without distractions, "{You're the girlfriend of Joan Wayne Kent, her one and only truly beloved Lila}?"

"{Huh?}" the girl in question reoriented towards the lady pirate, "{How do you know about me...?}"

"{I'm psychic,}" Lao shrugged, "{Or Psychotic...I never could tell those two words apart. At any rate, you want to have your Joan back, and I'll be more than glad to accommodate you. She's...a bit busy at the moment, but if you will come with us below deck, where we can get better acquainted, I'm sure we'll be able to discuss this matter like rational human beings.}"

"{You're serious?}" Lila blinked, "{You'd rather...talk than fight me?}"

"{What would it gain me to want to have to fight you?}" Lao asked, "{It's clear enough that you're far too powerful for me to want to face directly. Magnetic powers are-after all-somewhat compatible with the power of water by basic Alchemy, and yours are so...forceful...that I doubt that anything I might try to do against you would be all that effective.}"

"{You really want to just talk?}" Lila sighed, "{Hardly anybody wants to talk anymore...they always want to fight me. I try telling them that it won't do them any good, but...}"

"{You and I really do need to talk,}" Martha said, "{We've...never really had the chance to before...which was actually my fault, I didn't want to have to deal with you and what you...represented in regards to my daughter...}"

Lila blinked then murmured to herself, "{Weird...definitely freaky...}"

"{You haven't seen anything yet, Kid,}" Lao promised, already taking the time to admire the new arrival and satisfying herself that the floating girl in the odd costume was worth a closer study, "Just follow this way and we'll straighten things out in no time.}"

"{In a manner of speaking,}" Martha added, also taking the time to "check out" her prospective daughter-in-law, having a fine appreciation of what her daughter saw in this remarkable young mutant, whose profile was nothing short of...breathtaking...

A few minutes later and they were convened once more in the seraglio, where Lao's women wasted no time making Lila feel "right at home" (well, actually the strawberry blonde novice heroine was staring wide-eyed at some generously well endowed beauties, who were eyeing her back and flirting with her in a surprisingly audacious manner). The party resumed where it had left off with semi-informal exchanges and hasty introductions, then Lao and Martha took turns explaining to everyone about the matter of Joan Wayne and the Kraken.

Fifteen minutes later Alison was thoroughly heartsick, "Kami-sama...I had no idea...!"

"Indeed," Beatrice remarked, "You were reluctant to involve her, but now it seems as if you had better reasons than even you knew, Aiko-chan."

"Gordon..." Lila murmured faintly, "That bastard...I knew I should have dunked him into that silo, like I originally meant to..."

"I take it you didn't know the extent to her addiction?" Martha asked, "But you did know about it?"

"I knew that Joan was a junkie, yeah," Lila blinked, then pondered what she had just said and remarked, "Hey...I'm speaking in a foreign language...?"

"Japanese to be precise," Lao replied, "I find it so much more relaxing if everyone can understand each other without having to read the subtitles."

"I'm not even going to ask how you accomplished this," Martha shook her head.

"It's easy," Lao replied, "Dubbing in good dialogue just needs a talented Mixing agent."

"Japanese?" Lila questioned, "All right...I've always wanted to be able to read a Manga without having to wait for it to be properly translated! Ah...but...about Joan...are you sure that she'll be all right? Being trapped inside some tentacle rape beast...well...I've been through that myself, and it's wasn't a lot of fun...er...I mean...it was kind of fun, in a really perverse kind of way, but..."

"It's all right," Martha said, "I was there myself not too long ago..."

"SAY WHAT?" both Alison and Lila said together.

"Oh, I can assure you, there were no...unpleasant side-effects," Martha replied, "Joan's just being detoxified of the V-45 that's in her system. Madam Lao assures me that she'll be clean and sober when she joins us a bit later, we just have to wait until the process is completed..."

"A clean and sober Joan?" Lila blinked, "Do you think I'll even be able to recognize her?"

"Oh, I wouldn't think that this will be any sort of a problem," Lao replied, "Unless you know a lot of six foot tall Amazons who have ring piercings in both of her nipples..."

"Ah...I guess that is a point," Lila reluctantly conceded, "But...what will Joan be like when she's not on drugs? I've never known her when she was totally and completely sober about anything...the idea...is a little scary..."

"The thing that's important is that Joan will need both of us if she's to stay off her addiction," Martha took Lila by the hand and affectionately squeezed it, which ironically did nothing to relieve the magnetic girl's state of mind as she stared at the hand then at the semi-clad woman it was attached to, thinking to herself that this Martha Kent was definitely one of the Pod people!

"She'll also need a firm hand to insure that she does not slip back into her old habits," Lao further noted, "You both will need to be strong for her, because she will be anything but strong inside, and she is used to having the drugs for a filter, so she will be sensitive in other ways, so you have to lay down the law and be firm to make her understand that she cannot use artificial substances to cover for her inadequacies."

"I wish I could be that strong," Lila said, "But I've tried helping her to quit before, but she always tells me to go fuck myself. She's a very sweet person most of the time, but when it comes to those poisons the General's been supplying her, not to mention the cocaine and hashish she eats like candy..."

"Joan has been ingesting cocaine and heroine?" Martha sounded appalled.

"The V-45 somehow makes her able to take other drugs, so long as she does it orally," Lila looked faintly ill the more she thought about it, "It's been tearing me up inside...I love her so much, but she's so intent on killing herself slowly..."

"Well then," Lao said firmly, "You are just going to have to tell her that she cannot have any more of her poisons."

"And how am I supposed to do that?" Lila asked bitterly, "I'm just her live-in girlfriend, I don't own her..."

"No," Lao smiled, "But would you like to?"

"Huh?" Lila blinked, "What do you mean?"

"I'm asking if you would like to own her," Lao said matter-of-factly, "Have her for your personal property, make it so you can tell her NO and she will obey you?"

"Own her?" Ryoga and Akane blurted out then exchanged astonished glances.

"That's...that's...you're serious?" Lila blinked.

"Never more so," Lao replied, "I'm in the business of helping young women to find themselves, to discover what is in them and to learn how to enjoy it. I teach young girls what the price is for having a bad attitude, and I change minds by example, so what better place than this to teach your lady love how to stay clean and sober? I can also teach you how to make sure that she respects your authority and gives you the token of her admiration as her dominant and loving partner. Now wouldn't that be nice?"

"You want me to...what?" Lila asked mildly.

"It's simple, if her mother has no objections," Lao smiled, "I will sell her to you, at a substantial discount. You can buy her off me and I'll give you full ownership papers and help you to train her. You can be her wife, lover and Mistress all at the same time, as well as her undisputed owner, and-with this authority as your backing-you can tell that General of yours to go perform an impossible sex act for men. I'm sure you've wanted to do that for some time, haven't you?"

"Well...yes...but..." Lila turned to Martha and asked, "You're all right about this?"

"Dear," Martha sighed, "I've tried everything that I know of in the book to make Joan understand the way I feel about her, but still she has rejected me and my authority over and over. You might have better results than I ever would, and if you want to take responsibility for my daughter..."

"Yeah but...to own her?" Lila sounded both shocked and intrigued by the concept.

"I can't think of any better hands into which to place her welfare and safety," Lao replied, "And a girl like that is positively crying out to have an owner who can be both firm and loving at one and the same instant."

"But...how much would you charge?" Lila asked.

"That all depends," Lao smiled, "Make me an offer and I'll accept it. One dollar, two...whatever you think she's worth."

"Oh no," Martha spoke up, "You won't sell my daughter short that way! How much do you normally charge for a slave girl?"

"Well, without training, the basic asking cost is five thousand American dollars..."

"FIVE THOUSAND?" Nabiki blurted suddenly, having broken her own silence in dismay over that number.

"Oh don't worry, Tendo-san," Lao grinned, "I'd charge much more than that for you, if I were meaning to sell you..."

"Done."

"Eh?" Lao turned back to regard Martha.

"I'll buy Joan off you for five thousand dollars, plus whatever you charge for her training and expenses," the Power Woman replied, turning to Lila and adding, "And I'm giving her to you as a belated wedding present. Have fun with her, do whatever you like, she's yours to have for as long as you want her."

"You're...giving her to me?" Lila blinked, "Seriously?"

"Congratulations," Lao replied, "You've made yourself an excellent purchase. Although she is-how shall I put this?-damaged merchandise, I think with a little care and patience that she should turn out to be worth every penny."

"You mean I...?" Lila slowly started to smile, "I can do with Joan...anything I want to?"

"I'll have the papers made ready in time to sign, standard contract with all the provisions and sub-clauses attached," Lao turned to Martha, "Feel free to look it over in case you have any objections to the fine print. It won't be legally binding in any nation of the world, but...you would be amazed at what having a contract such as this in written form can do psychologically to reinforce an ownership rule. Of course you will still have to work out the details with Joan, and I rather expect she might put up a strong argument against being sold and traded like common goods..."

"I guess that's where the training part comes in," Martha mused, "And what a coincidence that you still have those Orichalcum chains, eh?"

"Actually I have two sets," Lao replied with a wink, "In case another party were interested in learning the basics of Pleasure Slavery and bondage."

"Bondage, eh?" Lila smirked, "It might be fun tying up Joan for a change...Lord knows she does it to me whenever she gets peevish..."

"I don't believe this," Alison finally spoke up, "Oneechan...you're selling your own daughter, my niece, into bondage?"

"It's better than letting Joan destroy herself," Martha replied, "I've failed her as a mother, now it's time to resort to more drastic measures. I know it seems odd, but in a way...I'm actually glad that Captain Lao proposed this. I don't know of any other way left for getting Joan's attention."

"In my opinion you have made a very wise choice," Kodachi spoke up, "As a recovering addict myself, I can well attest that Mistress Lao's methods are most admirably effective."

"Besides," Keiko grinned, "From the sound of things, you won't be making this Joan character do any stuff that she wouldn't be doing on her own anyway...which reminds me...I'm getting tired just sitting here with all these clothes on. Is this a Harem or what?"

"Point well taken," Lao observed, "I had allowed us to be semi-informal here, but now that we are all friends and understand the basic ground rules, I see no reason for us to hold ourselves back. Everyone...feel free to get casual and do whatever comes naturally to mind."

"I thought you would never get around to this, Mistress," Kodachi grinned, then turned to Keiko and said, "Strip naked, Slave, and pay proper obeisance to your loving Mistress."

"As you wish, Mistress," Keiko smiled and promptly pulled her tank-top off and tossed it casually to the side, stripping her shorts down mere moments later.

"Akane-chan," Kodachi addressed herself to her other near companion, "Be a good apprentice and show Ryoga-kun the respect you owe him as his true and proper iinazuke."

"All right," Akane grinned, and like that began to peel off her own clothing, much to the sudden alarm of an unprepared Ryoga.

Kodachi leaned back on her pillows and deliberately spread wide her legs as Keiko moved into position and straddled her Mistress, planting a gentle kiss upon her lips before beginning to glide down with her lips and hands covering much of Kodachi's body. Akane rudely shoved Ryoga on his back and straddled him before he knew it, pulling open his shirt in order to work her hands against his chest with a lusty expression that would have brought terror to the eyes of even a love-besotted Tatewaki Kuno.

All around the chamber the women of the harem wasted no time stripping down and getting down to business. Attendants dutifully urged the children away and removed them to another portion of the seraglio, Breeze vanishing with the others after turning a last over-the-shoulder glance in Ranma's direction. That left the Tendo and Daitokuji parties alone unaffected as a spontaneous orgy broke out all around them.

"Oh my..." Lila said with very round eyes.

"I'll second the motion," Martha agreed as she, too, studied the various women getting it on with free and total abandon.

"Would you care to sit and watch?" Lao asked, "It will be a few more hours until Joan is ready to leave the Kraken."

"Well..." Lila said reluctantly, "If it's not too much trouble..."

"I guess there's no harm in watching?" Martha mused, then impulsively reached out and took Lila by the hand and said, "Let's sit together. I really do want to get to know you better. There's so much about you that I don't know, and I never took the time to listen to any of Joan's explanations..."

"Er..." Lila felt an odd thrill from the contact of that hand clasping her own and turned to stare at the mother of her beloved, seeing for the first time not a disdainful parent but another woman who shared a deep abiding concern for Joan's welfare. It made her tingle in a nice sort of way, and without resisting she allowed herself to be drawn to a nearby divan for some fairly harmless...talking...

Lao smirked knowingly as she saw the two women-formerly strangers and mutually antagonistic to one another-becoming fast friends and even "bonding" (in the other sense than in what Lao specialized), which could lead to much else that she rather hoped would be forth-cumming. She drew a deep breath and sighed, feeling content with the world in general and murmured to herself, "It's not easy having a good time...but somehow I manage..."

And then she found a spot to sit down and "dig in" as several of her favorites oriented on her and made plain by their expressions that they were willing and eager to attend to the needs of their loving Mistress...

"This place is nuts," Ukyo remarked, "They'll screw anything that isn't nailed down to the floor."

"Looks to me like they're doing a fair amount of screwing, Airen," Perfume turned and asked, "Do you want to join in, Cousin?"

"Shampoo think you never ask," Shampoo grinned, "You also want have fun, Airen?"

"Ah..." Nabiki looked wary, not trusting the way her own hormones were beginning to react to the sight of so much sensualism.

"Don't worry," Ranma assured her, "I'm right here, I won't let anything bad happen to you, Nabiki."

She turned a curious look towards him, then finally she growled, "Oh hell!" and before he could even blink she wrapped her arms around him and started kissing.

"Wow," Alison glanced around in token amazement at what was happening all around them.

"My sentiments exactly," Beatrice turned and studied her pregnant wife, "I do believe that we are the last holdouts in this party-eh?"

"Oh, shut up and kiss me," Alison said roughly, reaching up and drawing her partner into a passionate embrace that was a foretaste of things to cum...to say nothing of the people themselves who would soon be doing the "cumming..."

Continued.

Comments/Criticisms/Christmas Wrappings Madam Lao style: shadowmane

The Orgy is at last upon us, and now cums the real fun for Nabiki and the party, but what happens when the leader of the Tendo Posse pushes Madam Lao too far...and the Tiger strikes back in her own unique manner? Stay tuned for: "Neko True Blue," or "In The Thighs of the Tiger!" Be there!

X

If you wish to check out my other works, Please check out my Fanfiction webpage at: . All related chapters of this series can be found there along with my other works.  
/pre 


	13. Chapter 13

preDNabikiTHCh13

Nabiki 1/2

"A Very Scary Thought!"

THE HONEYMOON HENTAI CHAPTERS!

By Jim Robert Bader

(Inspired by the works of Rumiko Takahashi Others,

Part Thirteen.

HENTAI ALERT-YOU ARE ENTERING THE LEMON ZONE!  
IF YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT THAT MEANS BY NOW, YOU PROBABLY HAVEN'T READ THE PREVIOUS TWELVE PARTS,  
SO WHO CARES WHAT YOU'RE THINKING? I'M DOING THIS FOR FUN, AND IF YOU DON'T LIKE IT, TOUGH COOKIES!  
ANYONE MISTAKING THIS FOR REAL LIFE OBVIOUSLY NEEDS THERAPY, AND THE WAY PEOPLE BEHAVE HERE IS LARGELY A MATTER OF MY PERSONAL IMAGINATION.  
YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED!

"In you go, young lady, and don't ruin the flooring with your landing!"

The rude treatment help partially wake Nabiki up, but so did the splash of water in the face, which caused her to sputter for a moment before full consciousness was restored in a flash.

"W-what?" Nabiki sat up, saw Lao standing in the doorframe, and sputtered, "What did you do that for?"

"You need to ask?" Lao asked, "After the way you just behaved at dinner? I don't know about you, Saotome...I try being nice to you, I give you every opportunity, but you insult my hospitality, offend my people and even have the poor judgement to make slight of my chef's cooking. On top of that you challenged me and lost in a fight, so you don't think I'm going to take advantage of you for that? You must think I'm some kind of social worker or something..."

"What the hell are you talking about?" Nabiki asked, standing up, "You challenged me to a fight, not the other way around!"

"Details," Lao stepped fully into the room, and the door swung shut behind her, leaving the two of them alone in the wooden chamber, with the sound of a heavy beam being placed over the door to secure it firmly, "You still got your butt kicked by me, and you were the one who threw down the gauntlet, so let's not argue about semantics."

"Semantics?" Nabiki glanced wildly at the door, then at the fearsome pirate-  
slaver, "W-what are you doing?"

"Sealing us in so we can have round three," Lao smiled in an even more predatory manner, "On my terms this time, and with a much different outcome."

"You're even crazier than I thought you were," Nabiki fell into a fighting stance, heedless of their presently nude status, neither one of them wearing a stitch, which in Lao's case was ominous beyond telling, "If you think I'm going to let you force yourself on me..."

"Do you honestly think I need to?" Lao replied, "Think carefully on that before you answer, and think back to just how you got yourself in this situation."

Despite Nabiki's pretense at bravado, one could not help allowing their mind to go back by less than an hour to when the orgy had begun in Lao's seraglio, when all sorts of hot and heavy bi-play was in progress and even Nabiki had let down her guard long enough to claim her husband, if only to make sure that Ranma did not wind up getting claimed by a woman who was not of their marriage circle...

It was true to say that those who spent any great amount of time on board Lao's ship inevitably began to have feelings of uninhibited lust, a magnifying of their libidos, and a decreasing ability to resist the pull of even the most casual attraction. Here even those confirmed in the gender preference could wind up becoming...confused in their orientation, and the desire to explore and unleash their sensual potential was a much stronger urging than those civil impulses of restraint upon which modern civilizations have been founded.

That being said, there was certainly no anarchy to the way people made out in this harem, nor was it so random a process by which one party chose to lay down with another. That was certainly true of Nabiki and her people, just as it was within the harem itself, a fact easily discernable from the way the couplings started out, though over the course of time they inevitably wandered into the exploration of new and heretofore unventured territories.

Thus though Nabiki herself started out with Ranma, and Ukyo began her sexual romps with Shampoo and Perfume, it was all but inevitable that they would start to wander outside of their circle. Ranma himself was feeling the lure of other, greener pastures, even though his desire for Nabiki lessened not in the least, nor did any of his other women lose their appeal for him, having established ties that would prove long lasting. Instead he took notice of thing that he normally would have been aloof to, such as a curving thigh here, a lovely profile there, a flash of breast or buttox on display that was well-shaped and quite appealing, even the shape of a bare foot or the curl of a leg could easily tempt him, though in no slightest measure did any of these temptations lessen his ardor for the woman whom he had actually married.

Perhaps that was because Nabiki possessed all of these things, and in ample measure. She was lean and curvy and narrow in the right places while well filled-out in others, and there was something about her jaunty smile that he found quite addictive. Besides she was already becoming a familiar and appealing presence in his life, one to whom he was growing ever more attacked, and so plunging away with mouth, lips, hands and tongue were just natural facets of this attraction. He intended to go farther still with her, and never yet exhaust the possibilities for their lovemaking.

At that moment in particular he was taking his time to slowly stroke and fondle her body, marveling, as he always did, at the smooth, fine texture of her skin, the supple strength that lay hidden beneath her womanly contours, the way she yielded to his lightest caress and yet could spring back with surprising energy as he moved his body against her own, treasuring the feeling of her skin and how very different she was from his own body...light and yet as strong as bamboo with twice the resilience and infinitely more tasty!

Nabiki, for her part, was admiring many of the same differences about his body, the way a man could be both hard and yielding, strong and yet gentle, warm and sensitive to her lightest caress and the merest stroke of her hand. Every time she touched her new husband it sent an electric thrill all through her body, and the tingling shivers that went up and down her spine made her want to renew her vows again and again in a physical acceptance of his virility and ardor. Just rubbing her thighs against his own while stroking her breasts against his smooth chest while holding him deep in her passionate embrace gave her such a thrill never-ending, and she wanted to yield herself to him, even as she took her pleasures while sating their mutual hunger.

This was what her marriage meant to them both, the coupling of mind and body, of heart and muscle to limb and frame that were manifest perfection. Ranma would rub his hands all over her breasts in search of the right combination of pressure points that would make them hard and erect to his touch, even as Nabiki used her hand to play with his testicles and rod to awaken his manhood to full erection. Their kisses continued all the way through this, each planting their lips and tongue on the other's face while the fires of their mutual lust intensified slowly, becoming a raging inferno before too long that could only be extinguished when the both of them achieved ultimate satiation. It was not enough to merely couple like two wildcats in heat, they needed to MAKE LOVE in its purest essence, and so the movements of one tended to copy and reflect the intentions of the other, and by this means they slowly but certainly got down to serious business, using foreplay to rev their engines before getting more intensive in the way they went about their lovemaking.

Meanwhile Perfume was receiving a tongue-lashing from her wife that more than made up for the time they each had spent earlier making out with another, and all the while Shampoo relished the joy of being a part of it all, alternately kissing and caressing both Ukyo and her cousin until the three of them began writhing together, blurring the lines of where one was making out with the others. The okonomiyaki chef silently vowed that she would one day have to find a flavor that could compare to the delicious taste of her wife in her mouth, savoring the sweet flavor of Perfume's skin, mouth and loins, each of which she sampled with great delight and exultation. And-of course-when Shampoo took her time playing around with either of them it was with the naughty sense that she could have as much of her Airen as she could take down at a single serving with a side-dish of Hentai!

As if this were not enough, There was also the show presently being put on by Akane and Kodachi, each one starting with their own respective "chosen mate," but working by inches to gradually turn towards one another, to eventually wind up in a four-way coupling that had Keiko on one end, Ryoga on the other, and both Black Rose and youngest Tendo child pressed together in a sandwich in the middle, all groaning and moaning as they went at each other like minks. Truly theirs was a blending of mind, body and soul, for at the center of their action there was tenderness and affection borne of a lifelong subliminal attraction.

And then there was the epic team of Alison and Beatrice...Aiko and Beiko respectively, whose own curious union was the penultimate joining of mind and body in a classically mythic framework. That one of this pair was heavily pregnant by the work of the other only added an element of mild restraint to their fun so that their lovemaking was gradual and measured. Yet these were two ladies who never did anything in a simple and uncomplicated manner, and that went as much for their contrasting styles as for anything physical the two of them shared together.

At the present Beatrice was taking great ease and care in the way she made love to Alison on account of her condition. Despite her heavy pregnancy, Alison still had normal needs and desires, and the greatest of these was the need to be found desirable by her significant others. Beatrice, although a very intellectual sort of person, had carnal needs of her own, and she found Alison quite desirable in spite of her pregnancy...or perhaps more because of it, the knowledge that Alison had accepted her into her world-imperfections intact-  
and had even consented (if after the fact) to carry her child, the greatest honor that any woman could bear for another, and so Alison was all the more beautiful in her eyes for that acceptance.

Besides, in spite of Beatrice's awareness that OTHER beauty awaited them all around, her first duty was to make Alison happy, if only BECAUSE to do otherwise was potentially life-threatening. Alison may tolerate some of her antics, but only up to a point, and giving into those **other** temptations first was certainly no way to insure a pregnant wife's happiness...**especially** when said wife could dead lift a main battle tank in her normal condition.

Suffice it to say that lips brushed ample acres of bared flesh, breasts were stroked and fondled, necks were caressed by hands and mouths that drifted ever further southward, and finally cunnalingus was performed where those mouths encountered the soft folds of womanly loins, unfolding the outer layers to discover the nubs that were a woman's clitoris. Since nearly all the participants in this orgy were female, it is natural to describe this oral-to-  
vaginal sex as a sort of "eating out" process in which tongues plunge into the moistened folds of womanly glory, yielding the succulent fruit of said loins with a kind of lapping process similar to what one used when eating an oyster. Said "fruit" came when one found the inevitable point of penultimate arousal, having stroked enough nerves to trigger this much-desired reaction, at which point the woman being eaten out rewarded the one doing the devouring with a gushing vaginal reaction that crudely goes by the name of "female cum," a syrupy, translucent fluid, little more than a teaspoon full of liquid sugar mixed with lemon juice and other elements in a biological concoction that tasted differently with each and every woman. Mildly acidic, full of nutrients, it was intended to provide a "thickening" fluid through which a male penis could penetrate fully to the vagina, and to seal in the cum that a man might shoot into a woman when releasing his own jism inside her. That happened with only two people-Ranma and Ryoga, to their respective Tendo-born ladies, though in one case it was a largely wasted motion since the woman involved was already quite pregnant.

In the case of the ladies, however, the results produced were always quite savory and satisfying!

Lao's harem-being entirely female-quite naturally were adept at yielding this sort of vaginal extraction and practiced the art regularly and with great enthusiasm on one another. Everyone in the harem liked somebody well enough to do this with on a regular basis, but they also liked to "shop around" to keep things interesting by trying out their arts in newer and more interesting combinations. The Tendo Posse, on the other hand, were mostly relative newcummers at the arts of female love, though Shampoo had practiced her arts diligently with Nabiki in both of her genders, while Ukyo and Perfume knew each other well inside and out and had yet to grow even faintly bored with each others bodies. Nabiki had only made love to Shampoo before marrying Ranma, and she was finding it delightful to try herself out on each of her fellow wives, so the novelty there was not even close to becoming a routine. Ranma, on the other hand, was still a beginner, but with advanced training in how to pleasure a woman and was still learning the particulars of each of his four very different and excitable wives. His main challenge was not to exhaust himself by trying to do too much at one time, and the strain of repeatedly cumming was much harder on him than it would be on a woman, men being designed by nature to be "Fifteen minute Wonders."

Not so the ladies, who could enjoy as many orgasms in succession as they had the energy to play with one another. Such it was between Keiko and Kodachi, who did not confine themselves to each other alone in any exclusive sense, both being intimate with the seraglio itself, having both trained there in the arts of pleasure under Madam Lao's direction. The Harem greeted them now like prodigal daughters returned to the fold, and with great enthusiasm they exchanged licks, kisses and caresses before bending down to the business of just play happily screwing those nearest to them silly. Akane got dragged into the midst of their fun, and-with her-also came Ryoga, who normally would have been too shy to ask any one of these lovely ladies for directions, but before too long found his male member getting regular and routine service by women who had not even seen a male "dick" in what they termed as "ages."

For Akane it was a new experience to actually experience a full-blown, no-holds-  
barred orgy, finding herself surrounded by supple and affectionate ladies whose hands seemed to rove freely over every surface of her body. It was so easy to yield herself to their embrace, to swim in a sea of feminine glory that seemed to appreciate her for herself and to find no fault at all with what they encountered. Most assuredly Akane did not find any fault in their methods, and before too long her body was arching and writhing under the sweet torment of so much pleasurable fondling, and then the lips that suckled her breasts and loins made her forget all about the fact that Ryoga was quite nearby having his own "pipes" be serviced by these selfsame ladies. If anything Akane silently wished her iinazuke well and hoped he would give these women as much delight as she was receiving. It was amazingly difficult to feel any sort of inadequacy or jealousy in this kind of group scene, and-if anything-she felt warm and accepted into their midst, even if she could not identify who was sucking on her toes and suckling her right and left tit, her own mouth being buried deep between a pair of creamy thighs that cried out for a good tongue-lashing.

Kodachi and Keiko both spared a moment between their own antics to smile in Akane's direction, taking pride in their self-described "apprentice" in the arts of love and pleasure (Ryoga, being their other student, naturally impressed them) before renewing their efforts at "rekindling their ties" with their beloved playmates of Lao's harem. They knew these women intimately, knew them as individuals, knew their likes and dislikes, and were prepared to give full measure of whatever it would take to assure them that they were welcome...and well-cummed!

The Tendo party thus being itemized and their activities duly recorded, let us turn our minds to the activities of Lao herself, who was enjoying the embrace of four of her favorite girls, accomplished concubines all who knew the needs of their Mistress and were all too happy to service them with great enthusiasm. Lao duly acknowledged their token obeisance in the warm spirit of generosity in which it was tendered, but a part of her mind was on the two "new-cummers" in their midst, Martha Kent and the girl named Lila, who started things out on the sidelines simply talking about...things...and yet before too long were actually touching each other in places normally never ventured by a mother and a daughter-in-law, which effectively was what they were due to the element of Joan Wayne (Jordan-Kent) that was shared between them. The Ambiance of the "Piece of Junk" subtly influenced the mood of both women so that they were able to take in the orgy going on all around them with very wide eyes, and no little amount of speculation.

It was not long before Martha-who had only just rediscovered her own sexual nature-felt the call to do more than "just watch" from the sidelines, while Lila was round-eyed with amazement upon seeing the kind of "lesbian orgy" that you only witness in cheaply made porn movies. There was wall-to-wall female sex on display, and amply desirable feminine bodies writhing together in a kind of "group grope" that left all parties panting and gasping for more. When one girl had a climax it set off a chain reaction in those who were further aroused by the sounds of her pleasure, and when two girls managed to cum together it was with such energy and delight that one could almost not help cumming oneself from sympathetic resonance. The room itself vibrated and hummed with each mini-  
explosion, but none came more violently nor with as much force as Alison Kent, whose orgasm literally shook the entire chamber despite her body being effectively immobilized by Beatrice and some cunning nerve-blockage that prevented the redheaded titan from kicking somebody senseless.

"Oh hell," Martha at last murmured faintly, not wanting to be left out of this fun, in spite of the fact that she was now back to her "old self" in terms of raw superhuman power. She actually found herself regretting the absence of the golden Orichalcum chains that had inhibited her power absorption earlier since having full power meant having to restrain herself from going all out. For her the world was made of cardboard and tissue paper, and human beings were easily breakable things. Lose control for even a second and the results would be spectacularly messy, and the last thing that she wanted to do around here was cause a mess, especially with so many accommodating and beautiful people attracting her interest, Lao chief among them.

But then the touch of a womanly hand on her chin turned her focus back towards Lila, who was smiling at her in an understanding and even welcoming manner. Her eyes were luminous with emotion as she said, "It's all right...I understand your problem...I go through this with Joan all the time, but you don't need to worry about me...I can handle it, I know how to make you happy."

Martha stared with widened eyes at a lovely young thing only half her years-if that-who seemed to comprehend the unexpressed desires that lay within her and-  
-to Martha's surprise-seemed willing to compensate. All at once she felt the press of some invisible current against her skin, and then she was being pushed down against her bedding of pillows, laid flat facing upward with thighs parted as Lila hovered over her, not touching but somehow touching Martha with gentle affection. The little clothing that they each had on was soon shed as though by magic, and then Martha felt a thousand tiny fingers stroking against the pores of her skin, her muscles being toyed with beneath their surface layering, and nerve endings receiving pleasurable stimulation as she arched her back and gasped in appreciation, discovering first hand how an otherwise normal girl with Magnetic abilities could overcome the strength of one physically superhuman...the sort of discovery that had been made by her own daughter...

So far so good, Lao mused, the Gods of Perversion must have been smiling on her to have arranged for the arrival of this Polaria, who was making out with Martha in a way that effectively neutralized one potential problem. Satisfied that good results would be forth-cumming on that end, she turned the rest of her peripheral attention back on her other source of chief concern, Nabiki and her husband, Ranma, even while acknowledging the loving efforts of her own sweet concubine lovers...

Ranma had wasted no time in pounding Nabiki's hot and horny little love-box for all that he was worth, but once he achieved the results that he was after he found his engine running perilously close to "empty," having cum so many times in the past sixty-two hours that even his remarkable stamina was beginning to wane a bit, having been called upon too much without sufficient time for sleeping in between such "milkings." He started to go slack at once as his reserves failed to kick in to his rescue, leaving Nabiki with his suddenly inert mass laying atop her body, and she not even close to being satisfied, having only achieved a single orgasm.

"Ranma-kun?" she asked, surprised at how heavy he felt so soon after such a dynamic explosion.

"Gimme a minute...I need to rest..." he murmured faintly, only semi-conscious, which left her more surprised than angry.

"I don't believe it," she said as she rolled him off of her and examined him critically to insure that he was not faking, but-sure enough-his "love tool" failed to respond to her attempted hand-job, so she desisted in her attempts to revive him, noticing how "cute" he looked when only half-coherent, which prompted her to say, "Some Sex Machine you are."

That got a faint rise out of him as he popped one eyelid open and mumbled, "Gimme another five minutes...and I'll spank you...for saying that..." and then the rest was too garbled and incoherent to follow.

"Promises, promises," she sighed, feeling too horny to wait but not wanting to disturb her husband while he was suffering from such obvious signs of exhaustion.

"My lady?" a voice politely asked, "Do you wish your husband revived? I would be most honored to perform such a service."

Nabiki turned to see one of the Undines standing close nearby, her body as near to being translucent as she was uncannily human in her expression. Despite her inclination to refuse, Nabiki was sufficiently intrigued to ask, "Revive him? How do you mean?"

"It is clear that your man needs rest and must regenerate vital fluids in order to perform his marital duties," the Undine explained, "I can speed up that process while helping to revitalize him by sharing a portion of my own life force. It will be no trouble at all, and when I am finished he will be able to ride you until you are happily bow legged."

Nabiki cocked an eyebrow as she moved away from Ranma's side and said, "Now that I'd like to see..."

"As you wish," the Undine replied, and promptly flowed onto Ranma, her body dissolving into its constituent state and expanded to take on more moisture until she formed a globe roughly oval-shaped and totally surrounding Ranma, who sputtered a bit in surprise but then began to relax as he found that he was not drowning.

"Ranma-kun?" Nabiki asked, amazed at seeing her man floating in a gel-like envelope that stood out a good four inches from his skin yet seemed to somehow feed him enough oxygen that he was only mildly discomforted, and then she saw his manhood begin to rise within this coating and stared in fascination at this evidence of his rapid revival.

All at once a pair of hands went around her and a happy voice said, "Ranma get soaked by Water Girl, is good because he soon can make nice-nice with Shampoo and Airen. Airen want to watch, or does Airen want to play with Shampoo?"

"That is a trick question, right?" Nabiki asked, allowing herself to be drawn off to the side with her wife and into the ongoing love-feast of Ukyo and Perfume, who were going at it hot and heavy.

For the next several moments Nabiki got into the thick of things with her fellow co-brides, taking turns with Shampoo and Perfume before somehow winding up in the arms of a fully aroused Ukyo, while the two cousins played with each other and fell into a happy sixty-nine mutual slurp feast. Nabiki gazed into the eyes of the eyes of the okonomiyaki chef and wondered why this felt somehow familiar, like she had been in Ukyo's arms many times before and had gotten quite comfortable with sharing her embrace, as though in another life they had been lovers independent of their joint union to Ranma. Then she dismissed the question as irrelevant and just concentrated on having a good time with her best friend, Ucchan. Having known each other since middle-school, they had an easy relationship born of a shared interest in the martial arts, only now they were sharing much deeper ties as lovers taking turns performing "breast massage" and cunnalingus. For some reason eating out Ukyo's loins reminded Nabiki of okonomiyaki, but-she reasoned at the last-since you are what you eat, that really did make sense after a fashion. What mattered to her was that Ukyo was tasty, and that putting her tongue up the other girl's snatch just made her hungry to sample even more "pussy."

And then something very odd happened...in the midst of sending Ukyo over the edge another body was suddenly pressed up against hers, as though the party in question had rolled up next to her while moving about on the pillows. Nabiki looked up at the same time as Beatrice, and both girls had faces slick with the moisture of another woman's sex on their chins and lips. For a moment brown eyes stared into vibrant silver-blue as the spark of recognition passed between them and then-without warning-they turned and embraced one another, kissing automatically and savoring the flavor of other womanly juices, then losing all shyness and inhibition as their arms began to rove up and down flushed and naked skin, hands fondling and "sampling" breast-meat while tongues clashed and melded together and both women began groaning their approval into one another.

Ukyo-who was just then coming down off her latest high of mind-shuddering sex-  
-became aware that Nabiki had desisted in bringing her off for another time, and when she opened her eyes the naked chef discovered why her best friend's attention seemed to have drifted elsewhere. Alison similarly opened her eyes and took in the sight of her wife embracing another woman, and yet-strange to tell-she felt no jealousy towards Nabiki but rather looked on with a surprised, fascinated and ultimately intrigued expression, which shortly thereafter led to another form of arousal...

Kodachi-who right then was urging Akane to keep on going with her tongue-  
flicking exercises, while Keiko-chan rode the Tendo girl from behind with a borrowed double-dong dildo-turned at the sound of the muffled groans of Nabiki and Beatrice together and cocked one black eyebrow, marveling to see her two smartest friends had suddenly taken an interest in each other...or perhaps rather had given way to an interest that Kodachi had long suspected...

For Nabiki there was a delirious joy in finally being able to "claim" Beatrice as a lover, having long considered the platinum haired beauty to be one of the most stunningly attractive girls in their entire high school. Bending Beatrice back to the pillows in order to straddle her came as naturally to Nabiki as her urge to "grind" her pussy up against the neatly trimmed silver bush of her fellow genius classmate. From there she made a point of pressing her labia and clitoris up against the unfolding pink pedals of the mercurial and often infuriating "mad scientist" of Furinkan High, feeling somehow vindicated to drive the other woman into a state of sexual submission as she asserted her dominance with firm and insistent pelvic motions. If she had been in her other gender-state it would have been something else she used to ride Beatrice's pussy, but having to make do with the equipment on hand seemed like no great burden as Nabiki pushed her soft sex into the pelvis of another and heard the grunting and groaning acceptance of the other young woman. Nabiki grinned like a rutting Tomcat, enjoying the ride as she ground her clitoris up into Beatrice's clit and managed to strike sparks each time the two sensitive nerve clusters met and flicked against one another. It was with the most sincere of intense pleasurings that Nabiki coaxed her labia lips to form a "kiss" that was shared with Beatrice's vulva, and then she felt hot fluid gush from her loins into that hot "love snatch" as Beatrice came with her and the two of them got wet and wild together in a double-rushing semi-fluid climax and caused both girls to cry out in simultaneous triumph...

Martha-who by now was quite far-gone into the magnetically-enhanced caresses of her daughter's lover-heard the many cries of womanly orgasm all around her as though the noise were indeed the crashing sounds of waves on the beach, a term she had never truly understood before this moment. She supposed that everyone was "having a good time together" and gave no thought about how...unconventional it all might seem, but the sound of her own climax drew the attention of Alison, who was just then coming down from her state of superheated arousal and was beginning to wonder if Joan were the only one who was on drugs and behaving in a manner not consistent with past behavior...

That thought did not occur to Nabiki herself as she went down and tasted the flavor of her own cum mixed with that of Beatrice in the latter's all-too-  
yielding vagina, and she was well into the delightful joy of eating out this cream-tasting mixture when a nagging thought began to occur to her. She wondered what it was but tried to dismiss it from her thinking, only to have the sensation return to her with a vengeance when she paused to lick her chin, having once more brought Beatrice off with the latter kicking her long, lean legs in the air and waving them like a "V" for triumph...

And that was when it finally dawned on Nabiki just who she was performing cunnalingus with, someone with whom she ought to be too annoyed to consider anything so...kinky. Beatrice was not one of her wives, she belonged to Alison and no one else. Nabiki had just cuckolded the strongest girl in their classroom, someone with a jealous streak as long as a crane, and whose fists could put a dent in battleship armor. What on earth would possess her to go hog-wild like this and possibly tempt a lethal reprisal?"

And that was when it hit her...Lao! This ship of hers reflected the mood and mindset of its owner, which meant that Lao's own libido was conveyed to its occupants on a subliminal level. That was why the air seemed to highly charged with the potency of sex, and why everyone was screwing each other like rabbits irregardless of their normal standards of behavior. Lao was giving them all a sexual high and weakening their normal inhibitions...which meant that Lao was-  
by proxy-also making out with...

"LA-OOO!" Nabiki rose up from Beatrice to turn and confront the lady pirate, only to find that Lao was staring back at her while being serviced by half a dozen amorous women. She glanced around and saw that Ranma was still enveloped by the elemental, while Akane was being pressed in close by a sandwich comprised of Keiko and Kodachi. Ryoga was all but lost to view from beneath a dog-pile of sensuous women while Ukyo was once more with Shampoo and Perfume, becoming the center-spread of yet another Amazon sandwich. Alison-much to Nabiki's relief-  
-was glaring at the woman making out with her older sister and not directly at Beatrice and Nabiki. That meant that she was the only one not currently under the spell of love-magic, the only one semi-lucid at that moment, and thus the one who alone could confront Lao over the issue of her sexual manipulations.

Moving to part herself from a somewhat-disappointed Beatrice, she turned and said, "Lao...what in the hell are you doing to us?"

"Whatever do you mean?" Lao asked innocently, "Aren't you having a good time with the others?"

"A good time?" Nabiki stood up and waved a hand, "Is that what you call this?"

"Well...not to put too fine a point on it, but...yes," Lao said as she gently urged her concubines to ease back a bit in their affections, at least so that her voice did not quaver too greatly, "In fact I would even add...HELL YES!"

"But this isn't real...it's just a reflection of your own perverted fantasies!" Nabiki insisted, "You're having us make out as though we were nothing more than sex-crazed animals. These aren't real relationships based on mutual trust and admiration...we didn't get to here by learning to tolerate and respect each other as people, to understand our wants and needs and compliment our own desires...you're making this happen because you want us to be as obsessed with meaningless sex as you are!"

Lao sighed and said, "Tell me something, Tendo-san...when did you turn into such a frump? Your argument is not only specious and insulting, it also makes illogical leaps from one point to the other, all based upon assumptions, you leap to the conclusion that I have the power to force people to make love that is not of their own desire."

"If the sandal fits, wear it," Nabiki replied, "Or are you going to deny that you've practiced mind control to turn these people into your affectionate playthings?"

"What I deny is that I am forcing anyone here to do anything that is against their will and nature," Lao replied, "Human free will doesn't work like that. I can plead, cajole, influence and manipulate people into doing my bidding, but they have to make the right choices for it to work. You can't hypnotize someone into violating some fundamental element of their own nature...it's been tried before, and by people are more expert at this sort of thing than me, but never with such effectiveness that it can be relied upon in a group setting such as this one."

"And like I'm going to take your word for it?" Nabiki sniffed, "What then, are you going to toss me into the Kraken and make me suddenly change my mind and agree with you?"

"Nothing of the kind is needed," Lao said, "You just have to open your mind and your heart to the possibility that people might actually want to do this sort of thing without my prompting."

"Nabchan," Keiko started to say, "What are you trying to do here...?"

"I'm trying to keep a level perspective, which is what someone here ought to be doing before we all fall into her trap and start thinking like she does," Nabiki replied, "And you're a fine one to ask me that question, considering what you're doing to my sister. You're all like fanatics belonging to some great big religious cult, and you're one of the worst proselytizers in the whole bunch, Arigami..."

"I've had about enough of this!" one of the concubines suddenly rose to her feet and said, "My lady, are you just going to sit there while she insults us? She's offended our hospitality and is making us sound like a bunch of mindless drones, and I for one have had enough of it!"

"Yeah," another concubine said, "Where do you get off on such a high horse, Tendo-san? What makes you think you can come in here and tell us how to live?"

"That's right," a third concubine replied, "We're slaves, but we don't have to put up with this kind of abuse! We're entitled to some dignity...subject, of course, to your approval, Mistress."

"You see what I mean?" Nabiki waved a hand, "You look to her for advice and approval, but she's not a god, even if she does have delusions about it..."

"Do I now?" Lao purred with a half-lidded humor in her eyes as she regarded Nabiki with an unreadable expression, "And what makes you think I'm anywhere near that religious?"

"Ignore her, Mistress," another concubine spoke up, "She sounds like she's just having an identity crisis and she's trying to take it out on us just because she thinks we're all a bunch of mind-controlled geeks, as if she's any better."

"Yeah," the concubine nearest to her said, "I'd hate to see who's been controlling her mind or making her into such a grump all of a sudden."

"No one's controlling my mind," Nabiki insisted, "You're the ones who bow and scrape to a tyrant."

"Nabchan," Ukyo sotto-whispered, "I really don't think this is a very good time or place to be bringing this up..."

"I can't think of a better time to confront her on this, can you?" Nabiki turned back to Lao and said, "I've seen what you do to people, what you can turn them into if they give you have a chance, and I haven't forgotten how you broke your word with me by using a technicality to justify hauling me off and chaining me up with the rest of your human cargo. How dare you just sit there and look smug because you think we can't do anything about it, like this whole thing is one big perverse game to you that you can toy with us at a whim and make us jump through your hoops for your amusement?"

"Is that what you think of me?" Lao replied, "That I'm doing all this out of some selfish desire to treat you like some captive lab mouse?"

"That's exactly what I think you're doing," Nabiki replied, "You've even got poor Ranma running your errands, playing baby-sitter for your kid. You've got my friends and loved ones right where you think it will give you an advantage and you think I won't call you out for it. Well, just try something with my daughters and I'll make you regret the day you ever saw me, Khan!"

Lao drew a heavy sigh and said, "I would never, NEVER even think of either threatening or harming your children. They are my cousins, and I do not war with babies. You have entirely the wrong idea about me if you can even think me capable of such a thing. Clearly I seem to have become the very embodiment of Satan in your eyes, but that is not an accurate reflection of the real me, nor do you have the right to pass judgement..."

"Oh yeah?" Nabiki countered, "You gave me that right when you tied me up and hung me out to dry for twenty-four hours! I've had a taste of your methods for turning women into slaves..."

"You have had only one day to experience orientation," Lao replied, "Hardly adequate to judge my real methods, nor do you seem to have suffered any impairment from your experience. Be honest, Tendo-san, you were not injured or abused the whole time that I left you to your own devices. If anything it was Lotus and Blossom who nearly suffered when you vented your displeasure with me upon their person..."

"But that's after I freed her," Perfume spoke up, "You can't exactly say it was unprovoked, Cousin, now can you?"

"My lady," Kodachi spoke up, "Allow me to explain this to my friend. Nabiki...do you honestly believe that I have suffered from my time among Lao's people? I spend many weeks here, you have barely been here more than a few days, and much of that time you have been left to your own devices. Regardless of what you may think of her, Captain Lao did me a great kindness, and I won't have you abuse her. This thoughtless rant of yours is pointless...surely you must see that there is no harm at all in allowing ourselves to explore our passions freely with one another."

"I'm not saying that she's doing this to hurt us," Nabiki replied, "I'm saying that this is evil..."

"Evil?" one of the concubines nearest to her stood up and got right into Nabiki's face, "Listen here, little girl, you may be a guest of the Mistress, but you don't know what you are talking about! You may be some hotshot martial artist, but that doesn't give you the right to throw your weight around here and be so snotty about it!"

"Evil is as evil does," another concubine said, "And by their fruit ye shall know them."

"What's so evil about having a good time?" a third reasoned, "Why can't we have fun with each other in whatever way we like? We enjoy what we're doing, and we're damned good at it, if you'd care to test us."

"You probably couldn't even satisfy half of us if you tried," the concubine standing in front of Nabiki snorted, "You're just an inexperienced teenager who thinks she knows something about the way the world works...you think you know more about it than us? Most of us came from OUT THERE, you know, and few of us really liked it."

"Maybe that's the whole point she's raising," one of the concubines said in more philosophical tones, "Maybe she thinks we'd be better off living our lives the way we were before the Mistress discovered us and made us a part of this harem."

"Yeah?" a forth scoffed, "Doing what?"

"I don't know," the concubine who had spoken before shrugged, "I don't even like to think about what my old life was like, when I'd been an office lady with a divorce and no children. Nothing much about my life back then that I really miss."

"But what about your ability to choose how to live your own destinies?" Nabiki spoke up again, "What about freedom?"

"Highly overrated," a fifth concubine scoffed, "Not much freedom when you're starving to death and can't make an honest living. Try being a prostitute in Singapore if you've doubts about that..."

"I never even had any employable skills before I came to live here," a sixth argued, "Now I make silk tapestries, and I've very good at it. I've got a beautiful daughter, friends who I can talk to all the time, plenty of time to myself to read books and write in my journal, and I even get to visit my parents on odd holidays. What more do you think I'm missing?"

"Excuse me," Martha said as she and Lila sat up, "Are we having a debate here about the propriety of being a slave?"

"That's what it sounds like to me," Lila said dubiously, not even bringing up the fact that she had just indentured and purchased her own girlfriend.

"We're here because we accept that being a slave is not such a bad thing," a concubine answered, "We enjoy our lifestyle, and we owe what we are to our Mistress."

"There are slaves and then there are Slaves," another concubine grinned, "And we're the best you'll ever find plying our trade on these Southern Seas. If we didn't like what we were doing, then we'd ask the Mistress to sell us to someone living somewhere else."

"I think the question that's being raised here is whether or not being a Slave is a good thing," yet another concubine remarked, then lifted a hand and said, "All here raise their hands if they would rather go free and live back on land like other people! Any hands? I didn't think so..."

"I think the confusion is really all about what kind of Slavery we're defending," said another concubine, "After all, there is the brutal kind in which a master beats and humiliates a girl and treats her like she's less than nothing. Most places where slavery is practiced aren't all that nice about it, and the slaves there are little more than helpless victims."

"Yeah, but we're not that kind of slaves," her nearest companion, "We're the kind that has fun. Back me up here, Mistress, you don't really think we belong to you because you forced us here against our will?"

"Ah, but I'm staying out of this fray," Lao smiled a she held up a glass, "Anything I say here is immediately suspect because I'm such an awful manipulator and can't be trusted to let people make up their minds about anything, remember? Besides, you're all doing such a lovely job of defending me that I wouldn't want to interfere."

"Laugh all you want, Pirate," Nabiki frowned, "But I'm still gonna expose you."

"Ohh...sounds kinky," Lao remarked, "Expose me to what? Your razor whit and dashing insight into the ways that people are supposed to live? Dazzle me with your brilliant observation on why I should even give a damn about what such a spoiled brat from a backwater country thinks of me for having fun doing the kinds of things that help me turn a profit."

"But you're enslaving people and making them into sex toys!" Nabiki all but shouted.

"Well, yes, but other than that, what do I do that you think is so evil?" Lao wondered.

"You toy with people's thoughts for one thing!" Nabiki countered.

"I only do as much of that as is needful," Lao replied, "Do you think I am so great a voyeur that I get off on reliving every trauma and tragedy in the lives of my supposed victims? Some thoughts are so private and darkly tainted that I could never even bring myself to share them with anyone. You have no idea what it is like to be in the mind of another person, Tendo-san. Take Kodachi over there...she is happier now, but in her past I have viewed such darkness that only she and I will ever understand. Count yourself fortunate that you were not the one who found her mother lying in a pool of her own blood, or the thoughts that once tormented her before I brought her under my dominion."

"Mistress," Kodachi herself said quietly, "There is no reason for Nabiki-san to have to know what evil tainted my soul before you helped to liberate me. I know and you know, and Kei-chan knows as well, and that is more than sufficient."

"Quite so," Lao subsided, "And you are right to remind me not to bring that up. I did not intend to expose your private heart, Koda-chan, it was rude of me and I ask your forgiveness."

"There is nothing for me to forgive," Kodachi replied, bowing from her waist before adding, "But I owe my whole world to you, and I will never forget that. I am yours to command as you see fit, Mistress, just as Kei-chan is my pet, and Akane-chan my good friend and apprentice..."

At that moment Ranma came sputtering out from the water-cocoon that had surrounded him and said, "Whoah, I'm back! Did I miss anything?"

"Only the beginning moves for World War Three...baka," Akane replied in an semi-  
affectionate, almost sisterly manner.

"Excuse me for asking this," Lila spoke up, "But you're a criminal, right?"

"I'll confess to the fact that what I do is illegal by the rules of normal society, yes," Lao replied, "But does that make me your enemy? I most certainly hope not."

"But you kidnap and sell helpless women," Martha frowned, "And you don't even bother to deny that."

"Would it do me any good if I did?" Lao shrugged, "Of course if you look for a victim here, other than Tendo-san, you would be hard pressed to find one who will press charges. I'm very good at what I do, and what I do is help those who have the ability to be pleasure slaves to find themselves and enjoy what they are. To some that may seem evil, but I acknowledge no law and no country as my sovereign, so the only authority that matters here is my own, the sovereignty of my conscience."

"In other words, you make the rules and you get to follow them," Ranma blinked, "Uh...how did we get on this subject?"

"Your wife is challenging our captain's authority," the Undine who reformed beside him answered, "Which means she is either crazy or desperate...or probably both."

"I don't understand," Lila glanced at Martha as if only just realizing what the two of them had been doing with one another, "Is she a bad person because she's a criminal, or is she a criminal because she's a bad person?"

"Oh, I'm bad," Lao chuckled, "But I'm not a bad person, ask anyone who knows me."

"Hah!" Nabiki scoffed, "Try finding someone who's more objective."

"Meaning you, I take it?" Lao replied with a certain menacing lilt to her voice, "A ship can have only one captain at a time, Tendo-san, and that Captain is-  
for all intents and purposes-a god in the eyes of her crew. I can allow a great deal to slide because it is beneath me to answer those charges, but to lose face is not something I can afford. You've accused me of a great deal more evil than I have by intent committed, and for that there can be only one answer."

"And that is?" Nabiki asked, tensing up slightly as Lao rose up from her seat to her full height with an obvious look of challenge in her expression.

"We settle this your way," Lao replied, then pointed with one hand, "But not here...the seraglio is the wrong place to conduct a battle of this nature. This way...to the challenge hall, where you and I can make a proper accounting."

"Fine by me," Nabiki said, missing the warning look that was shot her way by Ranma...

It turned out that the very hall where Ranma had played a game of baseball with Breeze was the so-designated "challenge hall" in question, a place where the entire seraglio-plus guests-convened only a few moments later. Lao began some stretching exercises while allowing Nabiki to consult with Ranma and the other members of her self-designated Posse. Shampoo and Perfume looked dubious about the whole matter, while Ukyo and Ranma were positively cautionary.

"This is a bad idea," Ranma said simply, "What's the point in fighting her now? You know we're still at sea, kilometers from land, and the POJ is the only way we're gonna get anywhere."

"That's right," Kodachi agreed with his assessment, "The invisible jet that we used to come out here could not possibly take all of us back to the main Islands...it would take several trips, and you wouldn't be very comfortable during the journey."

"Yeah, that does sound...kind of bad," even Ryoga admitted, "But if it's a matter of honor..."

"Honor be damned," Perfume growled, "Fighting her like this is a really bad idea, and you can quote me on that, Airen."

"What's the idea of picking a fight with her now, Nabchan?" Ukyo asked, "You want to wind up the new captain of this ship or something? This reeks of bad timing!"

"Couldn't you at least wait until we get a little closer to civilization, Oneechan?" Akane wondered, "I hate to side with the others against you, but she wasn't doing anything to hurt us..."

"I know you guys are worried," Nabiki said, "But I have to do this. That smug pirate thinks she can run our lives and make us dance to her tune, and it's about time somebody teaches her some manners."

"But why does it have to be you?" Perfume asked, "As good as you are, I don't think you can take her."

"Aiyaa," Shampoo agreed, "Cousin Lao mistress of Water School, is almost as good as Elder. Even great-grandmother no have easy time when fight her."

"Hey, I know she's tough, but I think I can take her," Nabiki replied, "I'm a lot better than I was a few months ago, and I beat her then, right?"

"Yeah," Ranma said, "But you did it using the Nekoken and the Shiryu Hoten Ha, and we wound up all taking a bath when it tore the ship apart, remember?"

"I know," Nabiki said, "But I've learned a lot of other things since then, and so have you. I'll bet together we both could take her easy, Ranchan. And what about you, Keichan? Got any advice?"

"Excuse me, do I know you?" Keiko said a bit frostily, "I'm too biased to know my own mind, remember?"

"Hah?" Nabiki glanced at her, "Uh...look...about what I said before..."

"I'll chalk it up to PMS," Keiko folded her arms, "But this is one fight where I'm not in your corner, Nabiki. You insulted both me and my Mistress, and for that you deserve to have your butt kicked."

"I think you did get a bit carried away back there in choosing a confrontational approach to this situation," Beatrice noted, "Madam Lao is dangerous, but she was on her best behavior. You've jeopardized everyone's safety just to establish a point that no one else thought you should make, and it may be that you have truly bitten off more than you intended to chew this time around..."

"Translation," Alison noted, "You're gonna get your butt kicked but good. But...for what it's worth, I'm kind of with you. Just watching my Big Sis acting like she was...it's eerie. Before this she acted like the whole idea of being with another girl was the worst sin imaginable, and now she's messing with Joan's main squeeze? That just ain't the Martha I remember..."

"Maybe you never really knew me after all, Ally-chan," said Martha herself as she joined these others, "I don't know the rest of you people, but I have to say that I do admire your nerves. You are a very unusual young lady, and I have my eye on you. I can't take sides in this fight while my own daughter is being detoxified by the Kraken, but I do wish you well in your fight against the captain."

"Um...thanks," Nabiki looked up at the older woman whom Alison named as her big sister, reading a strong and formidable character to her features...which oddly enough did seem to bear a strong resemblance to Nabiki's own face...in a Gaijin sort of way. It was almost like being given encouragement by an older sister, which-oddly enough-made Nabiki think a bit of Kasumi.

"I'm really not sure what this is all about," Lila admitted, "But since you're obviously the good guys, I guess you're the side I should be rooting with, even if Captain Lao is doing me a favor."

"Oh, don't worry about Nabiki and me," Ranma said, "We always come out on top, and besides, this ain't a matter of life and death for us...is it?" he asked with a questioning lilt in his wife's direction.

"Ask me when it's over," Nabiki said, and completed her warm-up exercises-in the nude, of course, since no one around them was wearing a stitch of clothing. How odd it was to find out you could get used to such a thing after a couple of days of living in a "Nudist Colony" situation...

Lao smiled as Nabiki and Ranma moved to the middle of the room, joining her in a manner that was more typical of an informal challenge match greeting. She nodded to Ranma before addressing herself at her real adversary and asked, "Are you both fighting together, or is your husband just here to wish you well on your way to dreamland?"

"Ranchan's going to be my partner in this," Nabiki said, "I'll take the first round, but then we switch off. Got any problem with that?"

"None whatsoever," Lao answered, "I'll fight you both at the same time, if you like...it would be a fairer match, and together you might even have a chance at winning. Alone you're just not that much of a challenge, I fear..."

"We'll see about that," Nabiki said as she squared her stance, "Ranma, call it...and don't interfere unless I call for your help, got it?"

"Right," Ranma said reluctantly, raising his arm in preparation then bringing it down again with a decisive, "Hajime...!"

"Okay," Nabiki said grudgingly, "So maybe I did make a tactical mistake by doing that but you knew I'd never let Ranma or anyone else help me in a fight if I thought I had a chance at winning..."

"True," Lao said, "Pride goeth before the fall, and it's one of your chief character traits. Of course you knew that your husband would never settle for just standing helplessly on the sidelines when he saw you were at a disadvantage."

"Well..." Nabiki said reluctantly, recalling the unfortunate way that the fight had started out as being far from one of her better moments...

The opening sally against Lao had been a standard attack offensive with Nabiki charging in and delivering a devastating series of kicks and punches with speeds exceeding that of the Amagurikan, a clever combination attack that she had been mastering while under Cologne's direction. To her surprise Lao moved in rhythm to her attack and absorbed each punch and kick against her defenses without trouble or seemingly any effort, and not a single one of her attacks got past the taller woman's guard. Lao just moved through the opening motions as though the two of them were engaged in a dance, then stepped back and smiled in that ingratiating, condescending manner that Nabiki found so annoying.

"Have you forgotten that I studied under the same mentor?" Lao asked, "I know your moves before you commit to them, and even if you vary your speed and tempo I can still respond in time to block you."

"Try this then!" Nabiki charged up a fist and hurled a point-blank Chi-burst into Lao's face, only to see the Captain harmlessly catch it against the palm of her hand and absorb it.

"Water is the medium by which energy is absorbed and dissipated," Lao explained, "Try something else that can be a little more effective."

"All right, you!" Nabiki squared her posture and launched herself into a powerful spinning back kick that could have felled a redwood tree, but Lao caught her about the ankle and halted her flying leap, thus arresting her motion.

"Too slow!" Lao cried and drove Nabiki body-first into the reinforced wooden timbers of the flooring.

"Yeowch," Lila winced, "They're good...I doubt even Tara or She-Cat could take them..."

"This is martial arts as I have seldom seen it practiced," Martha murmured somberly, "Even Lady Shiva might be impressed with their performance."

"I don't get it," Keiko winced, "Did Nabiki forget what I told her about the Captain teaching me the Shadowskills or something? She's playing right into Madam Lao's hands..."

"Perhaps she has some strategy to lure the Mistress into a false sense of security," Kodachi theorized, then winced, "Or...possibly not..."

"Oneechan...you Baka," Akane murmured softly, watching Nabiki try yet another maneuver that was stunningly less than effective.

"This is sad," Lao sighed, "You have indeed improved much, but not anywhere near to where you should be if you want to challenge me to a one-on-one match. Is there nothing else in your arsenal but Amazon tricks that I learned when I was barely knee high to a tadpole?"

Nabiki pushed herself back off the deck, feeling as though her head or the room were still spinning, and belatedly admitting to herself that might indeed have a slight problem in regards. Her training with Cologne had tended to be rather intensive on the Amazon side of the matter, while she was only just beginning to learn the particulars of Ranma's Senken maneuvers, not knowing them well enough to consider her mastery all that effective against Lao's high standards.

"I would like to offer you a chance to back down now," Lao said as Nabiki got back to her feet, "You can save face and train yourself for a rematch, then face me again when you are ready."

"Are you ready enough for...this?" Nabiki cried as she spread her arms wide and began concentrating, drawing in the manna currents that saturated the air and forming them into a ball of concentrated energy, which same she shaped with her hands until she was ready to release it in Lao's direction.

Of course Lao was prepared for this and stood her ground to absorb the energy, power enough to punch through the side of a mountain, but which broke apart effortlessly between her hands as though she were dismantling a child's toy. Of course in doing this she had to remain immobile, and no sooner was the blue-  
white ball disbursed then Nabiki leaped high and delivered a smashing round-  
house kick that actually connected with Lao's jaw, staggering the pirate Captain backwards and leaving her open to a spinning heel-kick to her chest area.

"Whoah," Martha remarked, further raising her estimation of these two combatants after feeling the back-flash charge of the energy ball, which clearly went beyond what she normally took to be the threshold of an ordinary human.

Nabiki attempted to press her advantage, but the two good kicks that she had landed proved to be the extent of her good fortune. Lao recovered instantly and met her head-on, absorbing the third combination kick aimed at her body and trapping Nabiki between her hands, then driving the younger girl face-forward into the deck with force enough to bounce her, then pinning the Tendo girl's arms behind her back.

"Ready to concede now?" Lao smiled, "That was a good maneuver, but the follow up was a bit lacking..."

All at once Lao was batted away by a dragon-stamp kick that came from out of no where. Ranma alighted on the deck in a crouch and assumed a ready stance as Lao recovered her bearings, then said in a low voice, "You okay, Nabiki? You look a little rattled..."

"I'm...fine, Ranchan," Nabiki said as she got back to her feet, favoring one arm that hung sore and limp beside her body, "But I didn't ask you to interfere..."

"Give me a break," Ranma said, "You're getting toasted! You need me five minutes ago, and don't try to argue with me about it."

"Ah, young love," Lao mused, "I almost didn't see that one coming. I was wondering how much longer you'd stand for seeing your beloved tossed around Saotome. Now this fight might actually prove interesting. Do you think the both of you can prevail against me with your use of the Senken?"

"You...know about the Senken?" Ranma blanched.

"I've seen you use it before," Lao squared her posture, "But this is my first chance to test myself against it. I find the idea of an entirely new form of martial art to be quite...invigorating. Do proceed to use any part of it that you might believe will be of value."

"All right," Ranma hunched his shoulders and hands down, "But you asked for this one, lady."

"He's going to use the Umisenken," Perfume reported, recognizing the body position and stance.

"Do you think that could be effective against Lao?" Ukyo asked.

"Not know," Shampoo shook her purple haired head, "But Cousin no seem too worried..."

"Interesting," Lao smiled, watching as Ranma mentally erased all traces of his presence in the chamber. She stood relaxed and at ease and waited for the boy to make the next move, and when it came she was ready and struck downward with a palm-strike aimed at where she estimated would be the location of Ranma's stomach. Her guess proved right, even as her legs were knocked out from under her, toppling her forward, and Ranma was halted in the act of following up to his "Shichi Rakuchi Sei" (Support Fall to Earth) maneuver with the more devastating "Haku Dato Shin Sho" (White Snake Reliable Fist) attack. It also meant he lost his concentration and regained visibility, thus became vulnerable to another attack had Lao chosen to commit one at that particular instant.

Instead she stepped away and remarked, "There is one problem with using that particular attack against me, young Warrior...it is a Water Based system, and-  
as you already know-I am a master of that that particular element of nature."

Ranma grimaced as he clutched at his stomach, grunting slightly, "How did you...know...?"

"I could feel you move against the currents within the room," Lao explained, "You must learn to flow with the currents if you wish to truly disguise your attack. You may be the next best thing to invisible when others do not notice you, but you are very noticeable by me, and not just because you have such magnificent equipment."

"Urk," Ranma's hands automatically shifted to his groin in a belated attempt at preserving his dignity.

"Now then," Lao said, "Where were we-oh, excuse me," said as she did a rapid side-step and moved inside the guard of Nabiki, who was attempting a dragon-  
stamp flying kick of her own, only to wind up on the receiving end of Lao's backfist, which knocked her to the floor and left her partially stunned.

"You see?" Lao remarked as she regarded a groaning Nabiki, "Fluid dynamics...be aware of your entire environment like a shark sensing motion in the water. If you both would learn that one simple trick, then this fight would be a whole lot more interesting. Ah...the folly of youth is that the young are always impatient..."

"Then eat this!" Nabiki cried as she sprang back to life with a vaulting backward kick, followed by a handspring and a triple somersault recovery, having bounced off Lao's defenses in such a way that she was back on her feet and ready to renew the struggle.

"Ah, much better," Lao said in approval, not in the least bit fazed by this near-miraculous recovery, "The both of you are finally learning."

Ranma was the next to attack, shifting his strategy from Umi to Yamasenken, launching a devastating double-hand-and-foot "Moko Kaimon Ha" (Fierce Tiger Entry Through Gates) attack, a maneuver he would normally have thought impossible to counter without the Umisenken attack he had already just used. To his surprise Lao met the attack and blocked both of his hands with her arms and caught his kick with an upraised leg, then shot her free leg forward at his undefended stomach, knocking him backwards and doubling him over.

She did not have time to touch down upon the floor before Nabiki was upon her, launching a flying Amaguriken-boosted series of kicks that forced the pirate slaver to go on the defensive, rolling with her attack and absorbing its fury. This time Nabiki did not let up, did not relent, went all out with everything in her inventory and launched punch after kick after blow in rapid succession, moving so fast that the air itself seemed to sizzle with her movements. The attack only lasted an entirety of two minutes, but it was enough to impress the onlookers, who found it hard to believe that a normal human girl could move with such speed, fluidity and controlled power.

"Wow," Ukyo exclaimed, "Nabiki's going all out...she wasn't this intense when she was fighting with Ranchan!"

"Aiyaa," Shampoo declared, "Nabiki very strong, stronger than ever..."

"No," Perfume contradicted, "She's exhausting herself with that attack, and Cousin Lao isn't getting any weaker."

"What?" Ryoga said, "But...that means..."

All at once Nabiki got kicked along the side of her face as Lao went from defensive to offensive mode and smashed the younger girl with a solid round-  
house that picked her up and sent her flying into the far wall. This time Nabiki fell to the floor in a heap and did not rise up again, clearly having lost consciousness with that maneuver.

"Game," Lao remarked, only to fall back on the defensive as Ranma launched a new attack, using the other Senken maneuvers in rapid succession, shifting from one elemental style to the next, and winding up falling back on his specialty, the Honosenken.

"Uh oh," Alison winced, "Is it just me, or does it feel like it's getting a little hot in here?"

"Oh dear," Beatrice murmured faintly, "I do believe your young Saotome has lost his cool, as it were, and is about to overheat things just a bit."

Indeed Ranma had lost his temper, seeing Nabiki being hurled about in such a way that he was immediately driven to a state of emotional outrage. Rather than lose control, however, his anger gave him a more intensive focus. Using the skills he had mastered while being a volunteer fire fighter gave him an edge on speed, maneuverability and evasion that even Lao found mightily impressive, having to counter his Fire-based attacks with her water-based system.

"Very good," Lao noted as she maintained her defenses against the fury of his attacks, "Now this is the fight I've been waiting for..."

"Glad you like it," Ranma said, raising his hand as he fell back and cried, "TRY THIS-SURROUND AND CONTAIN FIREBURST!"

All at once the air around Lao caught fire, and suddenly she found herself being surrounded by converging waves of the element that was Alchemically opposite to her own, searing flames that could potentially prove more than a little inconvenient as they stole the moisture from the air and robbed her of one key lien that she normally relied upon. With a twist of his hand Ranma caused the flames to congeal around one point, but when those fires met at the center there was nothing for them to consume, Lao having completely evaporated.

"What...?" Ranma blinked, surprised at seeing this happen.

"Congratulations," a voice said from directly behind him, "Didn't think you had it in you, kid, that was sneaky and almost effective."

"Yikes," Ranma immediately vaulted forward and spun about in mid-leap to find himself facing Madam Lao, who had somehow managed to get behind him.

"Of course you still need to learn to tell the real thing from a mirage," Lao smiled, "But if you can manage an attack that ruthless, then there is hope that you'll grow up to even bigger and better things and more advanced maneuvers."

"I wasn't-I didn't...I thought you'd block it..." Ranma blurted.

"Never count on your enemy being as alert as me, Kid," Lao said, "That could have hurt if I hadn't sensed your attack before it happened. Tell you what...why don't we play our cards on the table and make one all-out attack to finish this in one stroke. Summon up your power and I'll show you what real power is."

"All right," Ranma's eyes narrowed, "But you asked for it..."

Ranma concentrated again, drawing upon his elemental power. All at once the forces he sensed in the chamber all around him became tangible and manifest within his grasp. He had only to mentally reach out to them and draw upon their strength, and then shape and channel the force to form a column of flame that rose up above his upraised arm and-to his amazement-took the shape of a flaming dragon.

"WHO SUMMONS ME HERE?" a familiar voice called out in a booming voice, "I SMELL THE BLOOD OF THE QUEEN OF THE SEA ELEMENTALS BEFOULING MY NOSTRILS..."

"Hooboy," Ranma winced, recognizing the voice as belonging to the Salamander Queen, Latisha.

"Oh no," Perfume winced, "We're toast!"

"Ranma, you jerk, what have you done now?" Akane demanded.

"He's summoned up the elemental queen who gave him his Honosenken power," Ryoga exclaimed.

"But a fire elemental on a wooden ship?" Keiko asked, "That isn't exactly a good change of tactics..."

"Indeed," Kodachi remarked, "We could be in for a great deal of trouble."

"Or...maybe not," Beatrice noted, staring at Lao, who had remained calm and smiling the whole time of the summoning of the dragon.

"Magnificent," Lao smiled, and raised her own arm towards the ceiling, and all at once a column of water formed into a swirling water spout, and from this formed a dragon shape of its own that oriented towards the dragon of fire.

"YOU?" an inhuman voice snarled, "YOU DARE BRAVE MY DEMENSE, SALAMANDAR?"

"ULQUALSH," the flaming dragon pronounced the name in distaste, "I KNEW THAT I COULD RECOGNIZE YOUR FOUL STENCH ANYWHERE! SO YOU ARE THE ONE WHO DARES RAISE A FLIPPER AGAINST MY ALLY?"

"YOUR ALLY?" the water dragon snorted, "SINCE WHEN DOES THE LOFTY AND MIGHTY LATISHA CONCERN HERSELF WITH MERE MORTALS? MY ALLY WILL SQUASH YOURS AND EXTINGUISH YOUR FLAMES FOREVER!"

"NOT IF I CONSUME YOUR ALLY AND BURN HER TO ASHES!"

"I'LL SMOTHER YOU FIRST, YOU COUSIN TO AN IGUANA!"

The fiery dragon-shape said the equivalent of "Up Yours" and then the two dragons came clashing together. For a moment everyone shielded their eyes as flames and water droplets shot in all direction and the air became clouded with a searing burst of steam that forced everyone but Martha to blink her eyes and avert her gaze to shield them.

Then at last the steam cleared and those who dared to look found Madam Lao standing where she had been, slowly lowering her arms as clouds of steam dissipated from all around her. Ranma lay out on the floor, obviously unconscious, having failed to withstand the clash of two rival elemental powers and the explosive aftermath that inevitably resulted from such an encounter. Everyone else was dripping wet and somewhat stunned by the fateful conclusion to this epic concoction, including those with Jusenkyo curses, who also stood around and exchanged non-plussed glances...

"Well," Martha mused as she shrugged off the effects of the soaking, "That was anti-climactic..."

"That was the conclusion of the fight?" Nabiki blanched, "You've got to be kidding!"

"No," Lao replied, "You slept right through it, but your husband put in a magnificent accounting for himself. The only problem was that I'm older and more experienced at this sort of encounter. Plus I have more hit points."

"Huh," Nabiki scoffed, "Yeah, right..."

"The point is that you challenged me and lost," Lao smirked, "Which means that I am entitled to the prize for my victory, which means that you will submit to me and give me what I most desire..."

"No way," Nabiki crouched low and readied herself, "If you think that a little set back going to deter me from putting up a fight..."

"Oh, there will be no fight," Lao smiled all the more menacingly, "You see...I've removed your temporary resistance to water. My staff has finished running the tests and have assured me that your baby will be in no danger from a sex change...at least for the remainder of the week. In fact, if you look down you will find that you have already shifted to Kaneda."

"W-what?" Nabiki stared down at-himself-wondering when he had shifted form and gender, not having sensed the transition.

"You've been male the whole time that we've been talking," Lao explained, "I needed to give your body time to adjust to the change so that you will be virile for what I am planning."

"What you're...?" Nabiki-kun blinked, then a horrified realization hit him and he gasped, "No...you don't mean...you wouldn't...?"

"Hey, I'm evil," Lao grinned, "Do you really need to even ask that question? You do remember how our first fight turned out, do you?"

Nabiki-kun started to back away, feeling the hard surface of the reinforced wooden wall at his back, his eyes as wide as saucers as he watched Lao's outer form change and shift to become her "cursed" other self, manifesting in the shape of an eight foot long, seven hundred pound Bengal Tiger, which naturally in his eyes meant only one thing...

"A-A-A CAAAAAATTTT!" he cried, his mind going white as his Alurophobia took over...

Continued.

Comments/Criticisms/Cat Family Album: shadowmane

The fun continues as the gang sorts out the aftermath of the battle, and Ranma awakes to his own perilous situation while Nabiki tries to cope with what is soon to pass between herself and Lao, and expect more Hentai fun to resume now that the drama stuff is taken care of, so...be with us next time for: "Tiger by the Tail," or "Letting the Cat out of the Bag!" Be there!

X

If you wish to check out my other works, Please check out my Fanfiction webpage at: . All related chapters of this series can be found there along with my other works /pre 


	14. Chapter 14

preDNabikiTHCh14

Nabiki 1/2

"A Very Scary Thought!"

by Jim Robert Bader

(Inspired by the works of Rumiko Takahashi Others,  
including guys far too numerous to mention, let alone list here, and what did they ever do to me anyway?)

Part Fourteen.

HENTAI ALERT-YOU KNOW THE DRILL BY NOW!  
ANYONE CAUGHT READING THIS WHO IS UNDER THE AGE OF CONSENT AND/OR WITHOUT A PARENT OR GUARDIAN WILL BE SEVERELY NOOGIED! THIS FIC CONTAINS BONDAGE,  
DISCIPLINE, SADO-MASOCHISM, BISEXUALITY, BESTIALITY,  
ANAL AND ORAL SEX, SUPERHEROINE ABUSE, COMPULSORY AND NON-VOLENTARY SEX, THE UNLAWFUL USE OF A KRAKEN AND THE USE OF ENOUGH ROPE TO TIE DOWN A MAJOR BRIDGE!  
THERE ARE SOME PEOPLE IN THIS WORLD WHO HAVE A PROBLEM WITH THAT, DON'T YOU KNOW? POOR BASTARDS!  
YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED!

Ryonami was startled out of a light nap by a rapping at the door to the apartment. She cleared sleep out of her fatigued eyes and looked around at the unfamiliar surroundings, belatedly recalling that she was house-sitting for her friends Alison and Beatrice, who were away on...important business.

She combed her hair out of her eyes and stood up from the computer desk at which she had fallen asleep (what time before? It was light out, so it must now be morning...) waiting for some news that would assure her that her friends were safe and sound, especially her Sempai. Whoever was calling at this time of the morning had better have a good reason for interrupting her as she padded to the door, then took a look through Beatrice's special one-way mirror "filter" just to be sure it was not the landlord.

One second later she hastily disarmed Beatrice's home security system and unlatched the door, staring out at the two people waiting on the other side with fully alert attention.

"You?" she gasped, "I mean...oh wow...ah...domo arigato..."

"Hello," said a tall, dark haired man in a three-piece suit wearing glasses, "Miss Ryonami-san...I believe you made a phone call a while ago trying to reach us about our daughter?"

"Yes, I did," Ryonami blinked, "How did you find me?"

"It's what we do for a living," said the dark haired woman (ageless Gaijin beauty, Ryonami noted) beside the tall (and powerfully built) man, "Has our Aiko-chan been in any trouble lately? Please tell us, we need to know..."

"Uh...trouble?" Ryonami took a moment deciding how to answer that, "Well...she's pregnant..."

"We already know about that," the tall man said ruefully, "Has something happened to her and her...roommate, Beatrice?"

"Well," Ryonami ran her fingers through her hair and said, "They left me here to guard the fort while they went off on a really important mission. They're not the ones in danger though...at least...not that I know for certain..."

"Perhaps it would help if you explain the situation from the beginning," the tall woman said helpfully, "What could be so urgent that it would make Aiko-chan run off with my plane in her condition?"

"Er, well...won't you come inside, please?" Ryonami stepped back and urged them to comply, and soon they were gathered before the computer monitor as she made a hasty explanation of the events of the past day, leaving out only what Beatrice had been doing snooping on their friends during their honeymoon and sticking to the major pertinent questions.

"I see," the tall man said after studying the equipment with a hard glance, "So, you were spying on your friends when they got taken by a high seas pirate, and this display shows their last known position."

"Interesting encryption codes Daitokuji-san uses," the woman-Diana was her name-said as she sat down and did some quick finger taps at the keyboard to confirm her own suspicions, "It's not for nothing that she's a certified genius, just like her grandfather before her."

"Yeah," the tall man winced slightly, "Kind of runs in the family, doesn't it? You wouldn't happen to have a name for this particular pirate they went out to confront, would you?"

"Hai," Ryonami bowed, "Madam Lao, a Chinese Amazon turned exile from her people..."

"MADAM LAO?" both older man and woman said together.

"Uh...yes..." Ryonami blinked, "Do you know her?"

"Uh...well..." the dark haired man exchanged a look with his equally dark haired wife and for a moment there was plain reluctance written over both of their features.

"We've...had an encounter with her in the past," the dark haired Diana replied, "She certainly does...run to a pattern..."

"This is bad," the dark haired man remarked, "Aiko-chan can't have any idea what she's getting into here..."

"You mean other than the fact that Madam Lao is a pirate, smuggler and Enslaver of young women?" Ryonami asked, "Not to mention the Mistress of the Tsunami School of martial arts?"

"Well...she is that...and a lot more..." the dark haired man said reluctantly.

"It gets worse," Diana remarked, "According to these logs, Aiko and Beatrice-san landed my plane on her ship about fourteen hours ago, somewhere around the coordinates of one hundred twenty-seven degrees longitude, eighteen degrees latitude, give or take a few minutes in either direction.

"Six hour ago," the dark haired man calculated, "And at the speed which Lao's ship can travel, she might be anywhere off the Philippine coast by now, probably headed for Mindanao."

"Are you going to go find her and rescue my friends?" Ryonami asked hopefully.

"Actually..." the man hesitated, exchanging a nervous look with his wife.

"It wouldn't be too prudent for us to confront her too directly," Diana said, "But, fortunately, we know someone who can."

"Right," the tall man-Clark was it?-nodded grimly, "I'll get on the horn and notify him that his lady-friend has been up to her usual antics, and-  
fortunately-he does owe us a favor."

"I'll dial the number," Diana noted as she picked up the phone receiving by the workstation.

"Domo," Ryonami said gratefully, wondering why these two very powerful individuals would be so nervous about this Madam Lao person, but in spite of her anxiety and concern about Nabiki and the others she could not help asking, "Er...if there is time...would it be too much trouble to ask you for something...?"

"Yes?" the tall man replied, "Is there some way we can repay you for letting us know what Alison has been getting into?"

"Could I have your autographs?" Ryonami asked, smiling shyly.

That got a "blink-blink" look from both people, but the tall man shrugged and said, "Why not? Got a pen handy?"

Ryonami handed him a book and a pen and found herself blushing as she watched the man sign his name in elegant scripture, both in Japanese Kanji and English Romanji. The woman at the computer station did the same, then turned into the receiver in her hand and said, "{Hello, Frank? Guten Tag. We need to talk business, have you got a spare minute...?}"

For the second time in almost twenty-four hours Nabiki awoke with a peculiar taste in her mouth and no clear memory of how it had gotten there. All she knew was that she felt naked and...warm in some special way, and that a very soft body was laying beside her, stretched out and supine with the sort of contented bliss that resulted from intense, orgiastic sex-play, and evidently quite female with nice padding in all the right places. Her first thought was that she was either with Perfume or Shampoo, but the scent was slightly different, a bit more...briny...but in a pleasant sort of way, like the smell of whale musk lightly tinged with a hint of willow bark and saffron.

"Ah," a familiar voice purred, "Awake at last, are you?"

Nabiki's eyes went wide with shock. Very slowly she turned her head to gaze up into the face of the woman upon whose shoulder she had been resting, praying fervently to her ancestors that she would not see what she knew intuitively that she would see...sea-foam green colored hair and a pair of reddish-pink eyes that could turn tawny gold in an instant, and a pleasant face that was straight out of her most forbidden nightmares, that tell-tale trademark leer in place like the great cat that had just eaten the proverbial canary.

"Nihao," Lao said in sensuously pleasant tones, "Have a nice nap...Airen?"

Nabiki's subsequent scream could be heard from one end of the ship to the other, especially in the ship seraglio, where many concerned parties were currently gathered...

"What was that?" Ukyo winced.

"I think Nabiki just came out of Neko Mode," Perfume replied, "Only I don't think she was as pleasantly surprised as when she found herself with me."

Ukyo turned an appalled look towards her wife, "Nabiki went NEKO with you? But..."

"I'm still alive?" Perfume asked in amused tones, "Not beaten black and blue to a bloody pulp? Thanks for noticing, Airen."

"Aiyaa," Shampoo reacted faintly, "How cousin talk Airen out of Nekoken state?"

"Yeah," Akane winced, "Weren't you in danger from her going berserker like that?"

"Oh, I managed to...convince her not to hurt me," Perfume half-smiled, "I used Anything Goes Kama Sutra on her, and that managed to quiet her down?"

"Anything Goes Kama Sutra?" Ryoga repeated.

"There is such a thing?" Kodachi wondered.

"There is now," Perfume replied with a kittenish kind of grin.

"Only I don't think Nabchan's going to be so easy to talk down when it comes to the captain if she's reverted to her other state," Keiko sniffed, "Serve her right if my lady chomps down on her like a tasty little morsel."

"Aiyaa," Shampoo murmured faintly, being concerned while sympathizing with her absent wife's current status.

"I don't know about this," Lila chaffed, "I don't feel right about letting the captain go off with those two young people. Just because she defeated them in combat..."

"I don't like it either," Martha said, "But I agreed to abide by a truce with the captain for the duration, and I have to admit that young girl did push her luck back there, and her husband with her. I just hope the captain won't be too harsh with them..."

"Oh, you may be assured of that," Mei Ling, one of the concubines attending them, replied, "The Mistress has given her word that no harm will come to either of them. She is many things, but our Mistress does not lie or break a promise..."

"At least not when anyone can catch her in the act," Wan Kum, another concubine, noted, "And it's way too obvious for her to abuse guest privileges, even with guests who do abuse their privileges."

"Yeah, well...I feel sorry for Nabiki," Alison groused, "Picking a fight with the captain may not be the smartest thing she's ever done, but I...can't entirely blame her..."

"Neither can I," Beatrice remarked, "Though the timing of her challenge is somewhat suspect."

"That's putting it mildly," Keiko snorted, "Nabiki gets in a snit-fit and expects the rest of us to fall in line...which is typical. It never even occurs to her that some of us wouldn't mind sticking around for a few days since my Lady had graciously offered to give us safe conduct. I mean...really, what is her problem?"

"Now Kei-chan," Kodachi cooed, "That is hardly fair. You know that Nabiki was only thinking of what she imagined to be our best interests, and I hardly think that she needs be condemned for having a crisis of conscience."

"Maybe so," Akane said, "But I don't like the way that the captain just up and decided that she and Ranma needed to be punished. So they lost the fight, does that mean she gets to torture them about it?"

"Spoils of war," a concubine named Chow Mien shrugged prettily, "If you challenge the Mistress within her own domain, you should expect to pay a price, right?"

"Makes perfect sense to me," said a blonde named Ambidextra, the concubine beside her, "If anything I'm amazed at how much restraint the Mistress has shown to date. If anyone else had said those kinds of nasty things about her they'd be strung up by their boobs from the rafters and used like a piñata."

"Is the captain really that harsh?" Martha asked, "Somehow with me she seemed more...gentle..."

"The Mistress responds to each situation with only as much force as she deems appropriate," Chow Mien replied, "In some cases she can be harsh, but never unfair. She is cruel only when necessary, and her kindness far exceeds her cruelty. I have never seen or heard about her treating anyone with less respect than they genuinely warrant..."

"But who decides what they warrant?" Ryoga asked, "I don't like the idea of my...brother being stuck in a place like this, doing who knows what with the Captain..."

"No need to fear for Ranma's part," Kodachi reassured, "It will all work out all right in the end. You can trust Madam Lao, she did right by me, and I will forever be grateful. Which reminds me...you have duties of your own to perform, apprentice."

"Oh, right," Akane smiled sheepishly, and moved to position herself so that her face was once more nestled between the Black Rose's thighs, and without further preamble she began performing cunnalingus.

"Yesss..." Kodachi arched her back and leaned against the pillows that presently formed her bedding, "You do that so well...feel free to take advantage of her service entrance, Ryoga-kun...Akane-chan will be busy with me...for the next few hours at least..."

"Uh...well..." Ryoga said reluctantly.

"If you don't want to take her by the other end, big guy," Keiko leered, "Then I sure will!"

Akane went to work in earnest plying her tongue against Kodachi, who set aside her wine cup so as not to spill a drop of what she had been drinking, and clearly the youngest Tendo girl had no complaints about "servicing" her best friend in such a manner. She even wiggled her fanny suggestively as if encouraging someone to come play with her, which Keiko promptly did, much to the amazement and consternation of a hesitant (but very aroused) Ryoga.

"Um..." Lila said after several moments of watching a lesbian lick-fest in progress (and clearly quite intrigued by the performance art), "So...what is it you people do around here...besides screwing, that is?"

"Oh, we do a lot of screwing," a concubine named Wa-Ten grinned broadly, "But there are other things that fill our time besides that."

"Around here we only have three basic rules," Mantra, yet another concubine, only this time a Gaijin with dark hair, said as she held up her fingers to count these points off, "One...the Captain's word is law, and we must always respect the will of our Mistress. We must always be available for satisfying her needs, and we must never wear clothing within the seraglio unless it is with her express permission."

"We also need to keep up our good appearances by regular exercise and a properly balanced diet," added Tantra, the redheaded girl beside her, "Also...fighting and arguing within the group must be settled by formal challenge, to be supervised by our lady. Other than that we basically get along in here and are free to do whatever we like as long as we maintain the harmony of the Harem."

"We can read, watch videos, do chores, cook, clean house, watch the kids, or perform any of a number of other duties that appeal to us," said Mandy, another blonde concubine sitting next to the others, "Many of us have regular jobs that we perform when we're not off-duty or on call to the Mistress. There's never any end to the number of things that you can find to do around here..."

"It never boring, that's for sure," chuckled a sandy-haired concubine by the name of-not surprisingly-Sandy, "And when we're not playing with each other, we sometimes help the Mistress out with training thee new slave girls. That's a lot of fun, especially working over the newbies."

"They always come on board so confused and frightened about what awful fate awaits them," mused Suite Anne Lo, yet another peculiarly named concubine, "But after a few days they start to relax and get with the program...all but the hard cases, and we usually leave those to the tender mercies of the Mistress."

"Hard cases?" Martha asked, "Is that what you call the ones who object to being a part of this...program of yours?"

"Well...one in ten girls who comes on board ship is really not cut out for the lifestyle of being a slave girl," Mei Ling admitted, "There's no sense trying to bend them into shape, because they're never going to fit in around here. We usually isolate them and sort them out, then when we hit port the Mistress sets them ashore to fend for themselves with a nice stipend for all their troubles."

"She lets them go?" Lila asked.

"Not much point in keeping them around if they're never going to turn a profit," Wan Kum answered, "The lucky girls wind up here becoming a part of our family, the ones who have the talents to be great slave girls get sold to interested buyers who meet the approval of the Mistress, and the ones who don't fit in just get left behind to resume their lives, or whatever it was they were doing before they were snatched."

"You make it sound like they're the unfortunate ones," Martha frowned, "What kind of women are we talking about anyway?"

"Well," Chow Mien replied, "The Mistress calls them the Invincibles...women who-  
-for one reason or another-are too strong-willed and independent to ever become effective submisives. There's just a certain class of human being who never submits no matter what encouragements you give them, so they aren't cut out to either be slaves or dominatrixes, like us. Some girls here can go either way, depending on who holds the lash, and then there are the real sadists who LIKE inflicting pain on others..."

"Those you have to watch out for," another girl pointed out, "They're likely to wind up as Matrons or attendants."

"But doesn't your captain ever...get rid of someone in a more...permanent manner?" Lila asked.

"You mean does she kill them if they don't pan out?" said Wa-Ten (the concubine who seemed the most expert of those present) replied, "Not really. A few girls, maybe, but mostly those who try to give the Mistress too much trouble. It doesn't happen too often, but every now and then you get a really bad apple, somebody who's just plain mean and vicious. Letting them go isn't really an option, but I'd call that self-defense, not murder."

"There's a side to our Lady that you have yet to see," Keiko said somberly from where she was busy "servicing" a groaning Akane, "Madam Lao was cursed by her first husband, who used her cruelly, and as a consequence...well...my lady is part Tiger. If you see her in her other form, you will understand the sort of...urges that she has learned to control...but they are there beneath the surface should anyone be foolish enough to cross her one time too often."

"Cursed...in what way?" Martha asked.

"Jusenkyo," Beatrice replied, "The cursed springs at the heart of ancient China, where creatures that had drowned in the pools leave their mark for whatever unwary person next dares to cross their path. With a splash of cold water a victim loses their natural shape, to be restored only with warm water..."

"You mean...the way these two changed shape a while back when we all got splashed?" Lila nodded to Kodachi and Keiko-who were busy having an "Akane sandwich"-then to Perfume with a dubious expression.

"I'm afraid so," Perfume said, "The legacy of my country. I turn into a cat whenever I get wet, and with warm water I revert to human."

"Kodachi becomes a ferret and Keiko turns into a Vulture," Ukyo added, "And we know a guy back home who turns into a panda, another guy who even turns into an ape..."

"So, what does the captain turn into?" Lila asked.

"A tiger," Ukyo replied, "Of the three-hundred-plus kilogram variety."

"A tiger," Martha repeated blandly, "Ooookay...and I thought I'd seen everything..."

"You can see for yourself if you like," a concubine said, "Only the Mistress-  
unlike most Jusenkyo victims-has gained a limited control over her own curse and can change form at will. Of course this also means that she takes on many of the aspects of a Tiger even when in human form, but-for the most part-it seems like a reasonable trade-off."

"Problem is," Perfume noted, "Nabiki is deathly afraid of cats, and anything that reminds her of cats has the potential of turning her Neko...it's a berserker state of mind whenever she finds she can't get away from felines...she becomes a feline in order to adapt...all because of a stupid training maneuver taught to her by her idiot uncle..."

"Of course Nabchan has her own curse care of Jusenkyo," Ukyo again shrugged, "The others may turn into animals, but Nabiki..."

"Turns into a man," Alison replied, "And quite a handsome one, if you're into that sort of thing," she said with an ironic lilt aimed at her partner, who tried to look innocently elsewhere.

"Is very manly man," Shampoo cooed, singing her Airen's praises, "Nabiki is more man than most man, save only for Ranma..."

"A man?" Martha said, "A girl who turns into a man when she gets wet? Now that's...disturbing..."

"That's not the only thing that's disturbing," Alison eyed her older sister, "You've gone native on me, Oneechan, and that's a whole 'nuther level of disturbing. What happened to you to make you feel comfortable with hanging out all around with us Hentai?"

"You're not Hentai, Ally-chan," Martha insisted, "I mean...I'm pretty disturbed at the things you've been going through, but there's not much about those of us with Kryptonian blood that goes for normal, is there?

"No," Alison admitted, "But seeing you hang out in the nude and make a play with Joan's girlfriend..."

"I'm as surprised as you about that," Martha gave a surprisingly affectionate look to Lila, who studied her back with raised eyebrows, "But we Meta-humans make our compromise with the strange and unusual on a daily basis, and by the time you get to be my age...well...I've seen a lot more of the universe than you obviously think I have, young lady. I'm not quite the old frump you probably thought I was...I...I was young like you once, and I made my share of...mistakes...and...other things..."

"Mistake?" Alison turned to face her sister fully, "Is that what you think I've done? Make a mistake? You think what Beiko and I did..."

Martha raised a hand to still the tirade, "I didn't mean that at all...I mean...there was once a time, a couple of decades ago...when I...made a choice that I've since lived to regret. I was only a couple of years older than you at the time, and I thought I was just being youthful and impulsive. I tried to bury the memory and forget all about it, but some things just don't stay buried, and they live in our hearts even after we think those opportunities are lost to us forever."

"Huh?" Alison blinked, "What are you talking about, Oneechan? What opportunities..."

Beatrice suddenly sat up more alertly with her eyes focused on her nominal "sister-in-law," and then shrewdly said, "You loved someone yourself...a woman...and you turned your back on that love because you didn't think it was what you really wanted."

"What?" Alison turned from her sister to her lover and back again with a disbelieving expression.

"Yes," Martha nodded slowly, "I...loved someone very dearly...before I met my husband and had Joan. She meant the whole world to me...and I...turned my back on her...and what she meant to me...so that I could live what I thought was a 'normal' life..."

"But like you said," Ukyo remarked, "Normal just ain't what us heroic types are cut out for, right?"

"Lao made me see the truth," Martha nodded slowly, "She made me face those memories that I...wasn't strong enough to face by myself. It was at a dead end in my life just a few days ago, no husband, no happiness and no future in my outlook, and then-like a flash of light-I suddenly realized what I gave up all those years ago, all because I thought it was wrong, unnatural..."

"Unnatural?" Shampoo asked with a puzzled expression, "Love is love, what unnatural about that?"

"But I thought it was against the will of God that I should give myself to another of my own sex," Martha sighed, "I was that naïve about it...God forgive me..."

"Things are never quite what they seem, Kent-san," a concubine with the appropriate nick-name of "Mangos" (for her dusky skin, exotic looks and very large chest size) observed, "Especially when it comes to religious matters."

Just then Kodachi cried out in pleasurable screams as she threw back her head to the ceiling and gave thanks to the Kami-sama. Akane's groans were muffled, while Keiko seemed to be having just as good a time of it on the other end. Their combined cries, moans and slurping noises were enough to briefly sidetrack the line of their conversation, but when they died down Perfume broke their own silence by saying, "You know...I think those three have the right idea. All this talking and moping around just isn't any fun."

"But isn't that the point that Nabiki was making?" Ukyo asked, "Letting ourselves get distracted with all this making out together...we're just falling into the trap Lao set for us...betrayed by our baser reflexes and all that..."

"You'd rather be moody and unhappy?" a concubine asked, "Tell us what you find so objectionable about us, our lifestyle and our lady? Do you think that we're being forced to have a good time, or that we're blind to the alternatives? Or is this still about the idea that we're all mind-controlled puppets dancing to the tune of our lady?"

"Nabiki thinks so," Ryoga said, distracted from watching the threesome going at it hot and heavy.

"Oh yeah?" a younger concubine asked, "And do you always take everything your Nabiki says at face value?"

"Well...basically, yeah," Ukyo shrugged, "With the exception of Beiko here, she's the smartest one among us."

"Well, it's the same way with our Mistress," that concubine continued, "We trust her implicitly, but we also trust our judgement, and it's pretty damned insulting to be told that we're just mindless because we don't agree with you outsiders."

"Easy there," Perfume urged, "We're not your enemies, in fact, some of us are on your side. I agree that Nabiki had a point back there, but she carried it too far. There's no point in antagonizing our cousin in the lair of her own stronghold, and I think Nabiki's finding that out for herself this very moment."

"Aiyaa," Shampoo averred, "Shampoo hope Nabiki no in too-too much trouble with cousin. Is very bad the thing she do if much-much angry, and Shampoo no know what do about it."

"Same as the rest of us, Sugar," Ukyo sighed, "Sit back and play it by ear. When the opportunity is right, then we act, but not until then, especially not with our kids in the middle of the action."

"Oh, our Mistress would never allow any harm to come to your daughters," a Mei Ling reassured.

"It's not your mistress I'm worried about," Ukyo assured them, "Even with the best of intentions, when it comes to fighting it's the innocent who usually wind up getting hurt."

"How well I know that," Martha sighed, exchanging looks with Lila, "In the past I've treated you unfairly, and for what it's worth, I'm sorry about that. I blamed you for corrupting my daughter when, in fact, it was my own neglect of Joan that I was condemning. I can't ask you to forgive me, Lila, but..."

"There's nothing to forgive," Lila smiled, "You've given me Joan, and that's all ever needed."

"You mean you intend to go through with this ownership thing?" Alison asked.

"Oh yeah," Lila nodded with a sad little smile, "Big time. I've been wanting to pull her chains for ages, and now that I've got the excuse I've always wanted..."

"Joan might not accept the terms of this contract," Martha cautioned, "It's only legally binding on Lao's ship and no where else."

"Then I guess here is where we have to make it count, don't we?" Lila smiled in a practical sort of way, "And as long as the captain is offering to help me, who am I to refuse her time-tested methods? I know it may be a bit unusual, but..."

"A wise decision, if I may say so," Wan Kum agreed, "The Mistress will help you, and your lover may even learn to thank you for it."

"We'll see about that," Martha smiled, "But I think the young lady here has a very good point, all this moping around and being serious isn't getting us anywhere. I'd much rather talk about other, more pleasant subjects, such as...what I'll be doing when I go back to America. I think I'll look up Helena and try and see if we can find some closure on the matter..."

"Helena?" Alison blanched, "You mean...you and Aunt Helena, the one who's a District Attorney back in Gotham?"

"I'm surprised you even remember her Martha remarked, "You were barely even six the last time that we were all together as a family..."

"Who is this Helena?" Beatrice wondered.

"Someone...with whom I used to share a great deal in common," Martha stared off into space with a faintly wistful expression, "In that both of us have tried to follow in the footsteps of our fathers, only to find those shoes just didn't fit right. She and I used to be able to chat around for ages...we used to call ourselves the World's Finest girlfriends..."

"Was she pretty?" Ukyo asked.

"She was beautiful...still is, in fact," Martha sighed, "Long legs, a nice figure...she had the cutest little mole on her buttox..."

"And you'd still like to screw her, eh?" Perfume asked.

"Oh yes," Martha heaved a sigh, "Still...if she'll ever let me..."

"Weird," Alison shook her head, "I just can't get my mind around the idea of you as a tail-chaser, Sis. You've always acted as if you thought only mental cases and perverts ever got involved in same-sex relationships..."

"I know," Martha sighed, "That was mostly just an act. I guess...in a lot of ways...I'm not quite as stuck up and conservative as even I've believed I was over the years...I guess maybe an old bitch like me can still learn some new tricks..."

"There now, Mother-in-law," Lila paused to smile, "You don't mind if I call you that, do you?"

"Only if you don't mind when I spank you," Martha countered.

"Tempting," Lila drawled, "But I need to save myself for Joan. I think screwing her mother might not be exactly the best way of calming her down when she gets loose from that Kraken thingie...of course you never know with Joan, she might actually be that...kinky..."

"Let's find out together the next time we see her, shall we?" Martha gently mused, and a look passed between the two women that as much as said that any separation between them that might have existed before was effectively ended.

Ukyo and the others smiled as they watched this "reconciliation" in progress, but then she sighed and added, "I just hope Ranchan and Nabchan will be all right...wherever they are right now."

"Shampoo hope that cousin no be too hard with Airen," Shampoo agreed."

"Oh, I wouldn't worry too much," Perfume remarked, "In spite of what I said before, Nabiki is very resilient, and Saotome can get pretty creative when he gets cornered. Whatever cousin Lao is planning with them both, I'm sure that at least one of them is on top of the situation..."

"Now really," Lao pouted, "I know you don't trust me, but is that anyway to act? You don't exactly number the ability to walk through walls among your various talents, now do you?"

"G-G-Get away from me!" Nabiki said as she stood at the far end of the room with her back against the wall, eyeing Lao as though she were still in Tiger form rather than naked and (quite noticeably) a human woman.

"Now there," Lao sniffed, "You don't really think that I'm going to pressure you on this, do you? It was hardly a formal challenge situation, and you weren't even consciously aware of yourself for the good parts when you had your evil way with me..."

"When I...?" Nabiki's eyes got-if anything-even wider and she looked as though she were ready to faint, or throw up, or both...

"Oh yes," Lao said as she curled up her legs and smiled rather fondly, "You were male at the time, and acting in full Tomcat mode, but there was no mistaking the way you took possession of the situation-and me-exactly as you tried to do during our first encounter. Remember that, how you had me bent down and at your mercy,, only to be interrupted at the last instant before you were ready to claim and dominate me? Oh yes...I've thought long and hard of that event ever since we parted company in Hong Kong..."

Nabiki blanched as she remembered the incident, coming out of her Nekoken state only to find that she had the Tigress down and bent to position, and with his fully-erect male member poised and ready to open her, heedless of the fact that this bestiality would have been against her conscious, human beliefs.

But then she thought of Lao in human mode, bent down in that position, and-if anything-felt even more disturbed by the sensation of familiarity, as if she had actually done it that way while in her more recent Neko-state, only instead of entering a tiger, the pussy she had plunged her male meat into was...

...A flash of memory...of Lao bent down with her face pressed against the floor, Nabiki-Neko-kun poised behind her with a savage snarl that as much as said, "Don't move, Bitch!" Lao remained very still, in spite of a faint trembling of excitement as Nabiki-kun entered her exposed pussy, plunging deep into the depths of the Lao's most intimate moistness and forcing her to take in all twenty-three centimeters of hard masculine sausage. Very slowly he began to build up a rhythm until he began to ride her vigorously, forcing her to submit and acknowledge his superior status...

...Lao only groaned slightly and accepted her ravaging without complaint, accepting easily his dominance as Nabiki-kun sank in all the way and pulled out again, over and over. All the time he was snarling, daring her to challenge his authority. How dare this impudent female think herself superior to him? He would teach her to respect his virility, to bow down and kiss the token of his manhood and to thank him for gracing her with the potency of his manhood...

It was just a flash of memory, something rare for her as she seldom recalled even that much from the other times when the Neko had possessed her. It operated on the level of raw animal instinct and disdained human consciousness, ripping apart the civilized façade to expose the raw beast that was inside her, which was one very good reason why she hated surrendering herself to her creature side for any reason. It was hard enough picking up the pieces in the aftermath of one of her feline outbursts, but to couple it with the situation that she and Lao had been in when the pirate went Tiger on her...

"You didn't...?" Nabiki swallowed, trying to force back just enough of the memory fragment to insure that she had not been THAT far gone into the Neko.

"Oh, I changed back to human form just before you did the dirty deed, if that's what you mean," Lao answered, "I wouldn't want to violate your principles like that, even if you are a more assertive person while under the influence of the Neko. You may lie to yourself about it, but your animal state knows the truth behind your feelings. You've been attracted to me all along and simply have refused to admit it, even within the security of your own thoughts. I just used the Nekoken to bring out your hidden desires, the REAL reason why you are so intent on treating me as if I were the very devil incarnate."

"You're crazy!" Nabiki blurted out in a feeble attempt at denying the accusation.

"Are we back to that already?" Lao replied, "This isn't about me or my relative mental state, it's about you and why you never want to let your guard down around me. You think I'll have my way with you and force you to confront a side of yourself that you don't even want to admit to being a part of you. I said before that we are the same deep down, and it's that very similarity that attracts you...the knowledge that you could have made the same choices that I did and wound up in the same situation..."

"No way," Nabiki shook her head violently to each side, so hard that her breasts jiggled with the pull of inertia, "I'm nothing like you!"

"You are everything like me, or you could be if you continue to go down the road of self-assertion and insistence that you have been following of late," Lao replied as she regarded Nabiki with a bland expression, "You use people as it suits you, even those you profess to love, and you say it is for their benefit that you use your superior intellect, only that stubborn insistence that you are always in the right nearly cost you the love and loyalty of your husband."

"That's not..." Nabiki began to say, and faltered.

"Isn't it?" Lao replied, "You got used to his support and began taking him for granted. He started doubting his own self-worth and importance to you and had to train himself in order to be assured that he is your equal. Even now you don't really acknowledge him as a full partner but more like an attachment to your own ego..."

"That's not true!" Nabiki shook her head from side to side, "I-I care about Ranchan, I'd never take him for granted!"

"Could have fooled me," Lao sighed, "You've wanted me and yet you deny it, and it angers you that you want to submit to me...or rather, to dominate me and assert the primacy of your own ego. It angers you because you would rather think yourself above such petty emotions, so instead you blame me for tempting you and try to pretend it is all some diabolical scheme on my part to charm and seduce you."

"Well...isn't it?" Nabiki countered.

"Well, partially yes," Lao admitted, "But you have to admit that I am going to an awful lot of trouble if my intent was just to get a little something on the sly. You know that I could be a lot nastier and wrathful with you after the way you bearded me in my own den. The fact is that I do genuinely like you, Nabiki-  
san, and I enjoy these little back-and-forth debates of ours, but if it were a simple matter of trying to make you think better of me, then I wouldn't pussy foot around with all this subtlety, I'd just declare my affections and claim you for my harem."

"And do you honestly think I'd go along with that?" Nabiki scoffed.

"Do you honestly believe that you would have a choice?" Lao purred softly, "I thought you were the one who suspected me of mind control and having a diabolical power to cloud women's minds so that they cannot resist me. The fact that you have resisted me this far should be proof enough that I do not have such an absolute ability to alter the dynamics of personality as you have been implying."

"So why don't you do your thing on me?" Nabiki frowned, "And don't tell me it's because you have scruples..."

"But I do have scruples," Lao countered, "They are tiny things that skitter around and bother me when I'm having too much of a good time. I worry over them during long and lonely nights and grieve for them when they are absent. But the plain fact is...to force you to submit to me to the degree you would never even notice that your personality had changed would destroy the very thing that I most admire about you as a person...your independence. It's not worth all the trouble that it would take to bend you to my will in such a fashion...I would much rather convince you of my sincerity and good intentions by using...other means...less glamorous, perhaps, but in terms of attitude adjustment, infinitely more effective."

"Less glamorous means?" Nabiki's eyes flared wide again, "You don't mean...?"

Lao rose fluidly to her feet and was suddenly before Nabiki, a hand to either side of her body, effectively trapping her in place despite her best efforts to work free from the slaver.

"Oh, yes I do mean, young lady," Lao purred in a sensuous manner, "It's time for you to renew your education, and I know just the way for me to get your attention..."

ATTENTION: SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT!

[The producers of this fanfic have received numerous complaints concerning the overuse of plot and story elements in what is supposed to be a work of Hentai Fiction. Not wishing to offend those readers who are expecting a Lemon and are annoyed by too much Lime fiction, we will now include the following Hentai scene for your amusement. This has been a public service announcement, just in case you wonder why we subject our heroes to the following situations. We now resume the regularly scheduled telling of this fanfic with the Lemon parts added. Thank you for your cooperation.]

"...You've got to be kidding me!" Nabiki said a short time later as she found herself strapped face down on a padded wooden sawhorse-like beam, her arms and legs fixed to the legs of said sawhorse with her face resting at one end and her fanny projecting out on the other, "This is your idea of taking it easy?"

"Believe it or not, yes," Lao smiled, having just finished attaching a belt harness around her waist, "The thing with you, Tendo, is that you always like to be in control, as if self-control where what your life is all about. Your time on the road has taught you the need to be in charge of your destiny, your father having surrendered you to a relative idiot on a point of honor showing you just what folly it could be to let others make your decisions for you. Well, I am about to take control away from you...rather dramatically, as a point in fact, and show you that life is not all about control or being in control or avoiding unpleasant things that you would rather not have to deal with, such as the loss of your mother while you were on that ten year training mission."

"You're insane...let me go from here!" Nabiki fought the leather straps holding her in place, but Lao knew her business too well and had not provided her with the least amount of slack.

"You know I can't do that...at least not at this point in your training," Lao replied, "Blame me all you like, hurl invective and curse me if you must, you are only getting up from there when it pleases me to release you. In the meantime...a little English discipline is in order, don't you think?"

To emphasize her point, Lao took a "Cat-O-Nine-Tails" in hand and lightly flicked it, just missing Nabiki and cracking in the air a few inches away from her face. Nabiki screwed up her eyes at the sight of this near-miss and reflexively swallowed.

"Now then...down to business," Lao mused, coming to stand over Nabiki with a hand caressing her bare bottom in an almost possessive manner, "I know the business with the ropes left you feeling a bit...strung out...but you came through your ordeal no worse for the wearing. The same goes for this, only instead of leaving you to contemplate your probable fate, I'm going to present it to you in a most unmistakable manner."

It was about this point where-in your standard literary adventure-romance novel-something would intervene to prevent Nabiki from suffering a certain loss of face (not to mention a lot of humiliation) but...unfortunately for her, this isn't that kind of story...

Lao's hand went lower and moved to explore the cleft between her well-rounded ass-cheeks, and Nabiki drew in a sharp breath at being affectionately "handled" there. For all that she anticipated something painful against her bottom to occur at any moment, the cress of Lao's gentle fingers merely teased and stimulated her labia, which got her to reflexively relax and "open up" down there, despite her willing it not to happen.

"The curious thing about self-control is that we expect it to always work for us no matter what else may happen," Lao mused, "The body understands and responds to certain electrochemical signals that flow from the brain to the sex organs, and that is why you are beginning to lubricate down there...plus the fact that you do, deep down, want me to do this to you, Tendo."

"No way..." Nabiki gasped.

"Yes way," Lao assured her, "You don't really hate me...not the way you keep insisting to yourself. You are afraid of me, of what I am going to do to you, and that's what gives me the power to control the muscles of your body. You feel these fingers sliding into you now? That's the power I have over you, the power to make your body do my bidding..."

"No..." Nabiki gasped, wanting to refuse the caress that felt SO NICE down there, no matter how skillful Lao was with the use of those gently probing fingers.

"If you waste your time hating something, you often become the very thing you profess to hate," Lao continued, "And you can't feel that kind of strong emotion without deep-down responding to something that affects you deep inside. An emotional reaction-either love or hate-can only be felt when we recognize something in another that is also in ourselves, linking the two off us on a fundamental level. The reality is that I fascinate as much as repel you because you wonder what it is that I can do for you and to you that could ever make you want to behave like the women who surround me. You tell yourself that they are the ones being foolish because you don't like being a fool and would rather be the captain of your own destiny, sharing yourself with those few other individuals whom you trust implicitly. Anything else would be a gross violation..."

Nabiki grit her teeth and tried not to moan softly, but the feelings that Lao invoked as she touched sensitive nerve clusters within her were too powerful to be resisted, and so she wound up groaning anyway while Lao used three fingers, and then four, to further encourage the muscles surrounding her loins to relax and open wide as an invitation. By the time that she was ready, Lao had removed that hand and replaced it with something else that was long, wide, round and shiny...

A flexible double-end dong harness that the pirate slaver was wearing having coated one end of it to ease its path as it glided in home and pressed in deep into Nabiki. The helpless Tendo girl gasped as she felt the bumpy ridges of this shaft, whose smooth head pushed in deep to the limits of her vulva. Once her vagina was completely filled by the organ, Lao began to moved it around and to vibrate it slightly, causing a whole different range of physical sensations to radiate from within there to electrify Nabiki's entire nervous system as her mind seemed to shift entirely to pleasure-mode, as though someone had just flipped a switch to tune out her droning consciousness and the wall of denial that she had tried to use to fortify against such a moment.

"Now you see at last," Lao said, "The body understands what the mind refuses to accept. You are a woman, just like me, and we both know that our bodies were designed for loving. It is our fate to be loved, to be admired and pleasured and not to deny our own urgings or the generations of instinct that help us to accept the desires of another."

Nabiki closed her eyes and tried to shut these words out, but the truth behind them was impossible to deny, just as the slow and gentle riding of the double-  
dong vibrator was impossible to ignore within her body. After a few moments of gentle back-and-forth motion, Lao slowly increased the tempo and began to steadily pump and "ride hard" inside Nabiki's hot little love box. Before too much longer she was groaning and crying out like the star of a "good" porn movie, her body yielding to each and ever piston-thrust until she could not think straight anymore and just reacted with instinct to the demands Lao placed upon her.

"Now this is fun," Lao crowed in triumph, "Let me hear you beg for it...you want to cum, I can feel the pressure rising within you. You have a need to experience climax that is only natural...so start begging for now and I may consider being merciful with you, darling."

"N-N-No!" Nabiki shuddered, not wanting to give in that far, finding it difficult enough to accept the fact that she was actually enjoying being ridden by Lao.

"This is no time for pride," Lao informed her, "Resistance is truly futile, and you cannot resist my command over you. It is the nature of the game that we are playing, you must submit and accept your punishment, refusing me is not an option..."

Nabiki tried to say something defiant to that, but what came out was an incoherent moan as her body began to clench and double up from within, having come so near to the point of orgasm that being held just short of the edge was causing her to spasm and "feel the burn" from wanting so badly to release herself and go over the edge into total surrender.

"Don't think about yourself as a victim," Lao gently instructed, "Think of yourself as an instrument that I am playing like a fine violin. You are a tool for your own ecstasy, you exist to be pleasured, and not to climax is to deny your own existence. There is no shame for you in conceding to my authority here...I am the one who is subjecting you to this, the fault remains with me, not you. You are not a bad person, you are simply a woman in need of fulfillment."

To add special emphasis to her words, Lao began running her fingers along the edges of Nabiki's hips, then paused to lean forward in order to briefly caress both of her breasts before going at it again with hard and insistent hip motion. The sliding dong doing things to her insides that a human organ could not have achieved was an irresistible force that consumed a great deal of Nabiki's awareness, even as those magic fingers belonging to the pirate easily stroked her nerves like the strings of a guitar, playing a magical song all through her body that made her tense and to blank inside, finding a white light of pure ecstasy welling up inside her, crying to be release like a chick coming out of its egg into the light of day. She had to give birth to that chick NOW or go crazy! Being held on the edge like this was the sheerest kind of torture!

"Let go," Lao urged, "Let yourself fall into my hands. I will catch you and support you and care for you like a baby..."

Like a baby...like...Nabiki herself when she was small, weak and helpless, when she looked up to one person to give strength and definition to her world as the image of her long-dead mother came to mind, and the warmth that she had felt back then knowing that there was someone who loved her for herself and would always be there to support her...

"Yes..."

That single word that escaped from her lips brought a smile to Lao's own lips as the pirate captain cooed, "Close enough...now...you may have your reward..."

And with that the captain lightly spanked Nabiki's right rear ass-cheek, and that caused her whole body to shudder and convulse as the pent-up fury of her delayed orgasm took possession of her at once and caused her world to invert in the moment of all-consuming explosion!

It was like a miniature big-bang going off in her loins, expanding rapidly and causing her body to shake and shudder with the explosive fury of a raging tsunami. She could not even hold on for dear life as she was picked up like a leaf in the wind and hurled about in a swirling whirlpool tide of conflicting emotions. It was like someone had hit the "Spin Dry" cycle in her mind and had caused her to be tossed about and buffeted by all kinds of unexpected physical sensations. The fact that her body never actually moved an inch from where it was fastened did not even occur to her until the shuddering subsided, and even there the roar of the ocean tide in her ears could be heard for several more minutes.

And then Lao's voice again intruded on the rosy-pink seas upon which Nabiki floated, "Now...that wasn't so bad, was it? And that's what happens when you cooperate with the program."

"W-W-What...happened...?" Nabiki groaned faintly.

"Nothing that you did not want to have happen, I assure you," Lao said as she removed the dong from Nabiki's wet box with an almost audible "popping" sound, then circled around to face Nabiki at the other end and present the now-slick dildo for an oral inspection. Nabiki tried to refuse the offer, but Lao would have none of that and took firm hold of her head by the hairs forming her warrior's braid. As her mouth reflexively opened, Nabiki found it suddenly filled by "flexibly hard" shaft of the dildo which-she automatically recognized-had the flavoring of her own juices coating it to a slick cum-  
tasting popsicle.

"Now, lick it down and swallow it," Lao urged, "Or it's going to next go into your other end, the one normally visited by your stud of a husband."

Without thinking about it, Nabiki swallowed the whole dildo, taking it all the way down to her throat before she had time to realize what she was doing. The threat-coupled with the familiar sense of having done this for Ranma-made it easy for her to "deep throat" the thing just so long as she did not allow herself to recall just who was attached to the other end of that dildo.

"That's it now," Lao smiled, "You really do have a talent for this...or perhaps it's just that oral fetish of yours...you can't abide leaving that mouth of yours empty for any great duration. Now then...to the next stage of your submission.

"W-What?" Nabiki asked as the dildo was withdrawn from her mouth, "But you said..."

"I didn't say I wouldn't go there," Lao chuckled in an evil manner, then resumed her vigil at the rear station, presenting the dildo to the **other** opening of Nabiki's fanny, "Now...let's see if you enjoy this as much as when Ranma is doing it to you, shall we?"

"AHH!" Nabiki gasped in reflex as she felt the head of the dildo press up against her sphincter, and then the saliva-and-cum slick head began to force its way in through her rectal barriers, and in moments Lao "stormed the gates" and laid siege to her anus, pushing up partway and pausing to allow her to gasp and unclench certain muscle groupings. Then Lao moved it further and deeper into her hold and began rocking back and force with the same slow-but-steadily-  
increasing pressure that she had applied to her vagina.

This time Nabiki did not even pretend to put up a fight, knowing better than to make a stand in an area where resistance was likely to cause her some damage. To her relief Lao was a lot more gentle back there than she would have expected, and somehow even managed to give Nabiki a second orgasm through stimulus of internal nerve endings. This second climax made her body loosen up and unclench while not going totally as limp as a plate of noodles, and then she sighed in relief as the dildo was withdrawn from her rectum. Lao then removed it from her own person and casually set it aside, having obviously made her point with her nominal victim.

"There now, was that as bad as you were fearing would be the case?" Lao asked, "I didn't traumatize you by taking such liberties, did I? You aren't feeling humiliated and degraded now that I've actually done the deed that you were dreading all along, or do you think that you've been objectified and have lost face before your husband, or some such nonsense as all that?"

"No," Nabiki said with surprising calm in her voice, "But...don't expect me to thank you for it either."

"Not at this stage anyway," Lao chuckled, "I can just imagine what else must be going through your mind, Tendo-san. You'd like the chance to get even with me, to pay me back in kind, or to just plain beat the tar out of me for daring to treat you as a mere sex object."

"Maybe...all of the above?" Nabiki said, automatically thinking of what pleasure she would have of riding Lao in the ass with that cunning strap-on double-dildo.

"I thought as much," Lao sighed, "Well, now we come to the part where I have to get rough with you. Nothing personal, mind you, but it is a key part of the program, and it's for your own good..."

"How is it for my own good?" Nabiki wondered.

"You'll see soon enough," Lao smiled, and playfully "SWACKED" Nabiki on the rear end with the flat of her hand, not too hard, but hard enough that it jolted the younger girl and caused her body to react in ways that were entirely surprising. Even as Nabiki tried to cope with the curiously pleasurable sensations that had radiated out from that painful assault, Lao turned away and was saying, "Now...where did I hang my sharkskin pinpong paddle on this wall rack? Time enough to get to work tanning that lovely derriere of yours until you can't even sit down without thinking of me..."

"Sharkskin PADDLE?" Nabiki could not help blurting.

"Ah, here it is," Lao said, walking over to the wall and coming back behind Nabiki with the object in question...or so the latter was able to determine with a side-glance, "Now...let's get down to business, shall we?"

"Let's not and say we did, okay?" Nabiki said a bit more nervously than intended.

"Now here is a good place to start," Lao smiled as she affectionately caressed Nabiki's left ass-cheek with one hand, "Yes...nice and firm enough to crack an egg...and speaking about cracking..."

She brought the paddle into play, only she struck Nabiki's RIGHT ass-cheek, causing the Tendo girl to yelp and convulse as a new set of curious sensations traveled the length and breadth of her body. Las struck again, this time on her left cheek, and again Nabiki convulsed as a wave of sensation traveled up from her nervous system. Lao paused to caress both cheeks with a single hand, and then she was back at work again, swatting Nabiki again and again on her fanny, taking turns with either cheek and varying the tempo so that her movements could not be guessed in advance, and before too long there were tears in Nabiki's eyes as she moaned and yelped softly with each and every stroke of the paddle.

"Well, that's enough for now," Lao desisted a moment later, "You've been most cooperative, Tendo-san, and I'd like to thank you for being such a good sport about this. Let's see now...what to do next? The nipple clips? Some clamps on your labia, possibly filling all three of your orifices and leaving you to recover here for a bit? So many possibilities...and yet it will take time to explore them all, so I guess leaving you here with your orifices here is the best of all three options."

"The BEST?" Nabiki sounded appalled.

"Yes, you see...as much as I delight in being with you, I can't take all my time away to attend to your every need, Tendo-san," Lao explained, "So I have to leave you here for a bit while I go take care of that darling husband of yours, but fear not...I'm leaving you in good hands until then. Lotus and Blossom have gracefully consented to stand in for me at this stage of the encounter, and they have been so-wanting to have a chat with you about that incident where you went Neko. Fear not about them giving you the kiss of death, they have other, more interesting uses for revenge than doing ought in defiance of my orders. Girls...she's all yours for the next two hours, but be certain that she is conscious when I get back, and no unnecessary rough housing, you got that?"

"Oh, you need not fear for us, Mistress," said Blossom as she all but materialized inside the room wearing some kind of kinky leather harness (which naturally left everything exposed and little to the imagination).

"We'll be sure to take good care of her," Lotus agreed.

"Hey, don't I get any say in this?" Nabiki visibly sweated.

"NO!"

"That's what I figured," Nabiki shuddered slightly, seeing the hungry looks of menace in the eyes of Lao's two chief crewmates, but also because she was worried about Ranma. Her husband was obviously next on the Tiger's list, yet what horrible fate was being contemplated here for the master of the Senkens, whom Lao had so handily defeated. Yet what new form of perversity was Lao contemplating, and what would be its ultimate effect upon Ranma...?

A few moments later, a groaning Ranma was wondering pretty much the same thing, coming back to himself feeling strange all over and more than a little bit light-headed.

"Have a nice nap?" asked the familiar voice of the captain.

"W-wha...?" Ranma started to say, but then he noticed that his voice was a little bit...strange sounding...higher pitched for some reason.

"I suppose I really should be angry and upset with you for bringing a major fire elemental onto my ship," Lao remarked, "Of course I was expecting you to do this, so it didn't really come as all that much of a surprise...and besides...you were doing it to defend your lady. I think that's so charmingly noble and heroic that I'm willing to overlook a few details."

Ranma opened his eyes and discovered at once that he had chains around his wrists and ankles. He started to tug on them, then noticed something else that was very different and strange, prompting him to glance down at his-no-HER body...

Her body? Ranma swallowed, seeing a naked pair of breasts sprouting from a somewhat smaller chest than he-she?-could last remember possessing. The skin covering well-defined musculature felt oddly smooth and sensitive to the touch, and-to his further amazement-there was NOTHING BETWEEN HIS LEGS AT ALL-JUST A SOFT REDDISH FUR THAT ALSO PROVED SURPRISINGLY SENSITIVE TO THE TOUCH AND...

Reddish? Ranma blinked HER eyes and started to come to full awareness of HERSELF, looking up to find Lao peering down at HER from only a couple of meters away, which was why Ranma tried to lunge for HER, only to discover that she was bound by a chain to the wall that also connected to a collar around HER neck, causing HER to gag slightly as SHE landed on the floor in a heap, heavy iron chains rattling about HER feet and ankles.

"WHAT HAVE YOU DONE TO ME?" Ranma cried in terrified outrage.

"Why, I've given you a gift, of course," Lao replied matter-of-factly, "It's only temporary, so make sure to make the most of it before it wears off."

"Wear's off?" Ranma felt a twinge of hope at this, sitting upright and staring hard at the pirate before saying, "What is this? Why am I a girl all of a sudden?"

"Instant Nanniichuan, of course," Lao replied, "It's the reverse of the potion that I normally use to allow the girls to impregnate one another. It's a one-  
shot potion formed from the dried out sands of a Jusenkyo bed, but the effect is similar to a full-fledged Jusenkyo curse. You are, it seems, now manifested in the form that you would have worn had you been born a woman instead of a man...and a very attractive young maiden you are indeed! Of course the effect with the hair was rather unexpected..."

"The hair?" Ranma-chan reflexively touched herself in confusion, then noticed that the bangs about her eyes were crimson, "What the-? Its red!"

"Yes, odd that," Lao mused, "You look a little bit like a small economy version of Keiko-chan. How odd that it should happen this way...but then again I do suppose that it is a matter of genetics..."

"Genetics?" Ranma-chan blinked before staring at the pirate, "What did you do this to me for?"

"Well, I had to punish you somehow for losing to me in a fight," Lao shrugged, "And this way seems fairly...harmless. Besides, haven't you ever wondered what it must be like for Nabiki to constantly switch genders as she has over the course of the past year? Well...now you have a female body that you can explore at your leisure, getting to know all the intimate facets that combine into making you a woman. Feel free to touch yourself, I'll give you plenty of time to get used to the new sensations."

"And then what?" Ranma asked.

"Then," Lao smiled slyly, "I'll reunite you with Nabiki...and I'll let her see what you are like on the other end of the schleong. No doubt she'd be willing to pay you back for riding her ass and vagina the way you have lately, and I confess that I would love to see her plunging her hot, thick rod up into your vulva."

"Are you crazy?" Ranma-chan's already high voice squeaked with emotion, "I'd never-she'd never do that with me! Uh...would she...?"

"You tell me," Lao smiled, "She's your wife...or make that...husband. I'll pay my respects to you in a little while, but for now...enjoy yourself...and I sincerely mean that."

"Enjoy..." Ranma's eyes got very round, and then without thinking too hard about it she began to "play" with himself...fondling her own breasts and rolling back her head with a sigh as s experienced the sensation of pinching her own nipples. She gasped and eased back on the pressure a little, but then her jaw dropped and she cried, "WHAT THE HECK AM I DOING?"

"If you need me to answer that, then you're in worse shape than I thought, kid," Lao chuckled, turning about, "Consider it the wet dream of almost every male who has ever wondered about how the other half lives. You now can experience the other sex from a place few men even dream of going..."

Ranma-chan could say nothing to that as she stared at her body and them promptly fainted.

"Ah, another satisfied customer," Lao mused a she studied the prone body of the naked redheaded girl, admiring her excellent tone and proportions, and regretting sadly that she was going to have to let this one "get away." She left Saotome there in the hold compartment where he would be well tended to by elementals, hoping that he would appreciate her gift before it faded away entirely, which she hoped would be until well after he-SHE-was reunited with Nabiki. What a couple they would make if the curse were a full-time deal and not just a one-shot amusement...

But now she had other business that needed tending. The Kraken was sending signals to her, informing her that Joan was nearly finished and would soon be ready for release into the gentle, loving arms of both her mother and her new owner. That was an experience that she dearly did not want to miss-especially since it could be near-fatal not to get those orichalcum chains on her body before the demi-Kryptonian had a chaance to fully recover her wits!

Humming merry, wicked tunes of anticipation, she sauntered brazenly down the corridors of her ship, already thinking up wicked ways of helping Lila to get "closer" to her true beloved. Indeed, it was not easy having a good time, but Lao liked to think her humble efforts would have merits far beyond their "naughty" effects in the short term, and so she struggled and labored to insure the happiness of all of her charges, and if that meant that a few eggs had to get broken along the way...well...she knew how to pick up the pieces, and so she smiled...the smile of a Hungry Tigress...

Continued.

Comments/Criticisms/Castration Fantasies: shadowmane

Think it got a bit rough at the end there? You ain't seen nuthin' yet! Ranma explores "where none have cum before" while Nabiki gets a few lessons in courtesy, Madam Lao style. All this and the birth of a new and "improved" Joan Wayne as she is welcomed into the loving arms of her new Mistress! Be here with us next time for: "As the Wyrm Turns," or "The Three Faces of Madam Lao!" Be there!

X

If you wish to check out my other works, Please check out my Fanfiction webpage at: . All related chapters of this series can be found there along with my other works /pre 


	15. Chapter 15

preDNabikiTHCh15

Nabiki 1/2

"A Very Scary Thought!"

THE HONEYMOON HENTAI CHAPTERS!

By Jim Robert Bader

(Inspired by the works of Rumiko Takahashi Others)

Part Fifteen.

(The following disclaimer is not intended to be offensive or to personally imply any fault on the part of the reader.  
Those taking offense, I do humbly beseech your indulgence.)

HENTAI ALERT-PERVERSE SITUATIONS AHEAD!  
NOW ENTERING THE LEMON-LIME ZONE, WHERE STANDARDS OF GOOD CONDUCT AND TASTE DO NOT APPLY. IF YOU HAVE DIFFICULTY WITH ANY OF THE MATERIAL CONTAINED WITHIN, THEN WHAT ARE YOU DOING ON THIS WEBSITE, AND NEVER MIND ABOUT YOUR PERSONAL LIFE EITHER! I DON'T TALK ABOUT YOUR LOVE-LIFE, YOU DON'T TALK ABOUT MINE, SO THERE! YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED!

"She's ready," Lao reported, "Stand by with those chains, she'll only be vulnerable for a few moments."

"Understood, my lady," Dolmena, one of her mercenary lieutenants, reported, tensely gripping the Orichalcum and already well-briefed of the potential consequences of not doing her part promptly.

"Martha, Lila," Lao noted without turning her head, "This is the last chance for second thoughts. Once the Kraken releases her, there'll be no turning back."

"Understood," Martha exchanged looks with the other woman standing beside her, herself already wearing a set of the power-inhibiting manacles about her wrists and ankles, and as fully naked as the other women present.

"Let's do it," said the strawberry blonde at her side, who was not herself manacled but was feeling awkward for very different reasons, not least because the woman she loved had just spent the past twenty-four plus hours in the belly of an inhuman tentacle-rape monster, and that she and Joan's mother had both allowed it.

Lao spared a glance at Martha Kent and said, "By the way...you do look fetching in those, but if there's any question about it later, you know I couldn't have forced you to wear them..."

"I know," Martha replied, "But I gave you my word, and I'm a woman who honors her promises. Besides, this way I can assure Joan that she isn't going to be suffering any worse than I am while we're in this program together."

"I am honored by your trust," Lao smiled, then turned back to the open pit and said, "Behold...the Kraken rises..."

Sure enough a huge swelling column of gelatinous substance rose from the depths of the darkened pit to curl in a semi-arch as it oriented itself directly over Lao's head. The pirate slaver reached out her arms as this pseudo-pod opened up at one end and dumped a naked figure into her arms, all covered in slime and yet somehow bearing a passing resemblance to a newborn baby. Lao cradled the figure and laid her down upon the wooden walkway upon which they stood then nodded to Dolmena and said, "Chain her."

At once the dark-haired girl knelt down and applied the manacle cuffs to the semi-conscious woman's ankles, then clapped one cuff around a wrist, pausing to loop the chain around her waist until she could cuff the other wrist, thus sealing and rendering helpless the naked beauty cradled by her Mistress.

"What happened to her hair?" Lila asked, noticing just then that the recumbent beauty was no longer blonde but had noticeably green tresses.

"That's her natural color," Martha replied, "Joan dyed it blonde by some weird alien process, just like she got that star tattoo over her eye. Odd...the tattoo is still there...and so are those nipple rings that she's been wearing since her last birthday..."

"The Kraken was able to restore her to her natural self, at least on a genetic level," Lao replied as she straightened up again, holding the six-foot tall Joan in her arms as though she were a mere baby, "I don't know about the eye tattoo...the Kraken wasn't able to remove that, and as for the rings...well...I'm not too sure how they were applied in the first place."

"She said she got them during one of her missions with the Fem Force before I joined the team," Lila replied, "Maybe it was under a red sun, or some other such method, but she's...kind of proud of them...and her tongue piercing..."

"She has a tongue-piercing?" Martha reacted with raised eyebrows.

"And her ears were also pierced," Lila added, "And there's one more piercing in her navel. She didn't tell you about those because...well...it's kind of private."

"I see," Lao mused, "A tongue piercing can permit the insertion of a small rod with two balls at either end which can, when applied correctly, cause a fluttering effect when performing cunnalingus..."

Lila colored prettily and glanced down with a smile that was partially rueful, causing Martha's eyes to widen by more than a fraction before she, too, thought of the implications and abruptly colored.

"This way, then," Lao turned and led the way from the Kraken pits, "We'll get her cleaned up in the seraglio, and then you three can have a private chat to help in her further revival. Remember what I said before, though...don't just think of her as your daughter or lover...she is a slave undergoing rehabilitation, and you are her Mistress and rightful owner of her body."

"Oh my," Lila said, "That is going to take some getting used to..."

"Tell me about it," Martha agreed, but dutifully the both of them fell in line behind Lao while Dolmena was dismissed to attend to other duties. Joan remained only semi-aware of all that was going on around her during this time, her mind still full of images and sensations too intense to be described, and some of which were highly charged and erotic, making her wonder if this were hell or heaven...or someplace else in between the two, which was the conclusion that she would draw when she fully revived within the next half of an hour...

Standing and reflecting upon his present conditions, he found himself on a dark crossroads surrounded by darkness as thick as the blackest of nights, a stranger to all quarters and bereft without a compass. Turning his head to gaze in one direction and then another, his focus came back to a dark, oblong shape that rose up before him out of the twilight gloom, a towering structure that his mind and imagination could just make out as some form of building...a pagoda that loomed before him like a finger pointing at the ink black sky in undisguised accusation. A pall of doom surrounded him as he waited in silence, and then a bolt of lighting that shattered the tower and illuminated it against a cloud-  
filled background split the night. Suddenly those clouds parted and the moon exposed itself from between those clouds, and a star shone in the heavens, pouring down a ray of light that filled a quiet pool and caused it to ripple with the tides of fate.

And then, over the tumult of the storm, he heard a voice murmur at his side, "It has always been like that...when did you first notice?"

He turned his head and saw the boy named Breeze bending down to examine the pool...a Breeze who was both boy and girl reflected in the waters, twin selves staring back at one another, then looking up at him with a kind of anticipation, as though expecting him to give an answer.

"I don't know," Ranma replied, "I just looked up and it was there."

"You have to learn to see it all of the time," both versions of Breeze responded, their voices an eerie mimicry of one another, echoed and rebounded, "The tower has always been there...it always gets hit by lightning."

"Then why does anyone bother to live there?" Ranma asked.

To his further surprise it was Ryonami who answered, walking past him as if strolling through a park, "Because they know no other way to live...the Tower is home to them, and they are used to building back from each destruction."

"Who'd be crazy enough to live in such a place?" Ranma asked.

"The desperate and the mad," answered Lotus, appearing like a stage extra upon whom the spotlight had just been illuminated, a naked cherry pink-haired girl wearing a collar around her neck, the chain rising up to a darkened shape that lingered above her.

At her side appeared an equally naked and chained Blossom, who added her own thoughts, "Those who have lost and found their way and made their peace within the Tower."

"Can't they leave if they want to?" Ranma asked.

All at once Madam Lao appeared...only a towering figure of Madam Lao looming over the smaller shapes of Lotus and Blossom, holding both of their chains in a single hand and smiling down in that smugly superior manner that she sometimes manifested, even as her voice was strong and clear in her reply, "Why should they want to leave? They can remove their chains at any time, but they choose to remain shackled."

"That's no way to live," Ranma insisted, "If all they do is live in that Tower, then how will they ever find themselves?"

"They already have found themselves," said Ryoga, who was passing him by leaning on a staff, wearing robes that made him look like something of a hermit, "They discovered themselves when they came to live within the Tower, but now they fear that they will lose themselves if they dare to leave it."

"That's so sad," Ranma replied, "Was life so hard before they came to live within the Tower?"

"It was hard enough that they gave up trying to live," answered Nabiki, who appeared at his side wearing the robes of a Shinto maiden, "They know what they lost, what they have given up, and they have renounced the world in favor of the Tower."

"Nabiki," Ranma turned to regard his wife, "I...I don't understand...there's so much I don't understand about the Tower..."

"What is Understand?" asked Shampoo right in front of him, who had somehow taken the place of Nabiki, only a Shampoo garlanded with a wreath of flowers about her head and draped around her otherwise naked body, "Tower is...no need look beyond for answers, silly Ranma."

"You have to give up on your preconceptions, Saotome," said Perfume, causing Ranma to turn and see a naked Perfume standing beside an equally naked Ukyo with a radiant Kasumi hovering over both of them...a Kasumi with wings...one of a bat, the other of an angel.

"Look beyond what you think you see for the answers, Ranchan," Ukyo supplied, "The truth is right before you if you know how to see it."

"Listen to your heart, Ranma-kun," the winged Kasumi urged, "It will tell you what is right, you can judge from it the truth of your position."

"It's all very simple, Boy," said his father, who suddenly appeared next to him, glaring sternly in a priest's habit, "You known all along who you are and what your life is all about...don't lose sight of that now, no matter what else happens."

"Look to yourself for wisdom, Son," said a Soun Tendo who appeared upon an ivory throne wearing a crown and holding a scepter, "You know the truth, and you can rely on that knowledge to guide you through life, if you only trust your heart and do what you know is right."

"But...what is truth, what's wisdom, Pop? Uncle Tendo?" Ranma asked, "I'm so confused...everyone keeps telling me stuff, and I don't know if I should believe them..."

"Truth and Justice are two sides of the same sword-blade, my son," answered Nodoka, who was carrying her katana blade in the crook of one arm, unsheathed and held upward, yet not in a threatening manner, "They often cut both ways, but if you hold them right they will serve you when you need them."

"But...when will I know when the right time is?"

"You're asking me?" replied an Akane who was hanging by a rope tied around one leg, "I'm too busy trying to keep up with things as it is. Go ask somebody else for advice, Baka."

"Over here!" cried a Keiko wearing a carnival barker's straw hat and holding a large candy-cane in one hand as she pointed to a wheel upon which was mounted a naked Kodachi, "Step right up and place your bets, boys and girls...where will the wheel of Fate wind up when it turns? Let's spin it and find out, shall we? I know you're as eager to learn the answer as I am..."

"Life is a game of chance, Saotome," Kodachi called down as she began to spin around in a circle, "Sometimes you're a victim, sometimes you're a hero...what matters is how you play it..."

"'Dachi?" Ranma asked, all but hypnotized at the sight of the beautiful Black Rose as she all but mesmerized him with her beauty, "How do I play the game if I don't even understand the rules?"

"What rules do you mean, friend Saotome," asked Tatewaki Kuno, who appeared holding the reins of a chariot that was being pulled along by Natsume and Kurumi, "We make our own rules in this life, as we make our own choices."

"If you haven't figured that out by now, Saotome..." said Kurumi somehow, in spite of having a bridle in her mouth.

"...Then you haven't been playing it right," answered Natsume for her sister, also in spite of the metal bit between her teeth.

"But if I've been playing without rules," Ranma began, "What good is my own judgement?"

All at once he turned and saw Madam Lao standing close nearby, wrestling with a large tiger whose huge jaws she held apart with her bare hands, turning and smiling his way, "Don't you see, Boy? You play the rules you make up, the ones you discover in yourself by feeling how you react to a situation. See how I wrestle with the Tiger that's inside me? If I let it go it would devour me, that's why I keep on dancing."

"Dancing?" Ranma repeated.

"Isn't it obvious, Saotome?" replied Mousse as he appeared holding a Scythe in one hand, "You've been dancing with yourself all along. Here, let me show you..."

And with that Mousse brought the scythe into play, swinging it at Ranma, who found himself unable to move or avoid the scythe as it cleaved him down the middle, leaving two Ranmas standing in the place of one, each experiencing a curious bi-focality of being in two places at one and the same moment. Both Ranma slowly turned to face one another...only the one on the right as male and the one on the left was redheaded and female. Both versions looked at each other and blinked, then each pointed at the other and said, "HEY-YOU LOOK LIKE ME!"

"Now do you see the truth, Son-in-law?" asked Cologne...only it wasn't Cologne as Ranma knew her, but rather as her younger self, the ageless Juraian beauty, holding a pair of cups as she poured the contents from one into the other, "You've been there all along and never bothered to notice."

"THIS IS NUTS!" both versions of Ranma said together, "HEY, QUIT THAT! MAKE ME, WHY DON'T YOU...?"

"Talking to yourself again, Saotome?" Hinako asked as she raised her coin, "You are such a delinquent..."

"HEY!" both Ranma-kun and Ranma-chan cried together, making frantic hand motions, "POINT THAT THING AT SOMEONE ELSE!"

"That's the basic idea," Hinako responded, shining her coin at a graveyard and causing the bodies to rise up out from the earth, revealing themselves to be Lao's crew and concubines.

"WE LIVE AGAIN!" the field of naked women cried in exultation, "ALL HAIL THE CHILD OF THE NEW MORNING!"

And then both Ranmas turned to see an unfamiliar shape, that of a purple haired girl surrounded in a wreath of light, a child who seemed somehow familiar and yet was also something of a stranger, prompting Ranma to ask, "AND WHO ARE YOU SUPPOSED TO BE?"

"I am the child of the new tomorrow," the beautiful stranger replied, "I am heir to the future, a child of the past and the present. I am the one who will inherit from you, Father and Mother, if you but believe in your destiny and the love that all bear you..."

And then Ranma felt light-headed, as though he were coming out of a daze, a faint and half-remembered daydream that started to vanish before he had a chance to catch it. He blinked his eyes and saw everything as though it were well illuminated...the wooden floor and timbers that surrounded him, causing him to look up and see a new presence sitting beside him, one he belatedly recognized as he gasped, "Latisha?"

"You are still asleep, Mortal," the fire elemental (who once again appeared in the form of a beautiful redheaded woman) chided, "We need to talk, and your waking mind would not be able to perceive me. You in no immediate danger, but I do not care to see you reside indefinitely in this jaded prison."

"I see," Ranma said, then promptly asked, "Are you all right? You weren't hurt when you were fighting with that other elemental, right? I was worried..."

"You were?" the fiery woman seemed genuinely surprised by that statement, "Do you, a mortal, care what occurs to one of our kind?"

"Of course I care," Ranma said automatically, "You're my friend, and I thought you might have been hurt by that water dragon..."

"Ulqualsh?" Latisha arched a fiery eyebrow, "That was hardly the first time that the two of us have clashed, and I sincerely doubt that she will be the last. That exchange of energy blew the both of us back to our respectful dimensions, and I have been nursing my strength every since. We are...old acquaintances and rivals..."

"Oh," Ranma said, and decided to leave it at that, "What was that again about me not being in any danger?"

"I speak relatively, of course," Latisha replied, "That avatar of Ulqualsh is quite formidable, and I do not trust any child of water further than I can throw a tantrum. Salamanders and Undines are very bad blood cousins..."

"I guess it comes from that Fire-Water thing, right?" Ranma guessed.

"Partially," Latisha answered, "But the Universe itself is formed from such opposing elements as Fire and Water, Air and Earth, Wood and Metal, Hard and Soft, the Yin and the Yang. Opposition creates the dynamics of energy and change that powers the world and makes life as you know it possible. Your body is mostly composed of the elements of earth and water, but it is fire that gives you life and health, and air that fills your lungs. You must come to see yourself as the product of such diametrically opposing forces if you are to learn and progress in the Way of All Things, young Master. Opposition is a good thing when it can produce the evolution of life moving from single organisms to far more complex structures."

"Uh...yeah," Ranma agreed, "I guess change is a good thing when you look at it like that..."

"There is an element that links all others together as one force," Latisha instructed, "The Primacy of Ether, from which all other forces come into existence. It is Chaos, Prima Forma, the Breath of Life itself, which burns within you mortals like a bright flame and shapes itself to your will at the center of your Aleph. You will come to understand this in time, and how to bridge the gap between opposing forces. Already you are evolving to a higher level of consciousness, and each new challenge you face forces you to look beyond the pale of mundane self-awareness to the actual working dynamic that underlies existence."

"You mean...like with me mastering the Senkens?" Ranma asked.

"That was the opening of a door for you," the Salamander queen replied, "Already you have begun to see things that you never before even dreamed were possible. Change for you is good, it means you are on your way to becoming a more enlightened specimen of Man, one who can walk with all the elements in balance and restore harmony where there is only discord."

"Uh...I guess," Ranma hesitated, then for some inexplicable reason he found himself asking the question, "But...what about entropy?"

"A human term for the process by which hot things become cold and complex structures break down into their constituent elements?" Latisha sniffed, "It is Life itself that opposes Entropy. Without life, without the force that shapes and binds everything together, the Universe itself will fall back into anarchy and formless Chaos. Life is the flame that consumes and binds these elements together into the pattern that you can see all around you. If you like not one pattern, you have the ability to change it by changing your perception of its makeup. All magic really is nothing more than the power to alter your perceptions, to reach out and touch what underlies your existence and to form it in accordance with your imagination. Think well on that when you again confront the Avatar of Water and seek to overcome her in battle."

"And what of...good and evil?" Ranma asked, again wondering why he was asking the Salamander queen such questions.

"Human terms to describe the forces of harmony and discord," Latisha replied, "Good to a human is when life progresses within a state of balance with relatively little opposition between the forces...evil comes when this process is disrupted and thrown out of balance. Evil is not a thing of nature, it opposes nature and seeks to turn harmony into discord. It poses in many guises, some seductive and alluring, but it can always be known by the effect it causes, when harmony is broken and life itself is made to suffer. You have to look beyond human concepts of what is good for Mortals and understand the larger picture. Evil can be small or large, but it is never entirely what you think you perceive on the surface. Simple answers to complex problems will not suffice you here...you must see the truth that hides beneath the façade, only then will you be equipped to deal with the challenges that face you. That is why I appear to you now, to give you some hope in your quest to redeem yourself and your lover from a life as mere chattel. Beyond this I dare not venture...the rivalry between myself and Ulqualsh prevents me from doing more, though you may call upon me again when the need is greater."

"Um...thanks," Ranma said, "You've been a big help...I think."

"It is the bargain between us that makes me wish to help you, young Master," Latisha smiled in a way that made Ranma's pulse quicken, like when he got a similar look like that from Nabiki, "But more than a bargain inclines me to help you in your quest. You a fascinating mortal, a study in contrasts that I hope will blossom and mature into something even greater. At the moment, however, you have one challenge to face that I cannot do ought about...the temporary curse that the Water Avatar has inflicted upon you. For that you must look to...alternate means in order to cope, for it is your sense of identity itself that is under assault, if you but look down at your present outwardly condition."

"Huh?" Ranma replied, and indeed his gaze went down to see a pair of large, jutting breasts hanging like pendulous fruit from his chest, and-further down-  
-a patch of reddish fur that was absent a certain member to which he was usually quite attached and...

Ranma screamed, and all at once he sat bolt upright, fully awake and alert with his-um-HER pulse beating wildly like a triphammer. He-SHE-looked down at herself again and found that it was not a dream after all...rather it was a waking nightmare, and that she was indeed now female! This body was real...Ranma had lost his manhood!

It took a moment for him to get a grip on herself, at which point she hesitantly touched herself to confirm what she had earlier discovered about the sensitivity of her breasts and nipples. They were amazingly soft and yielding to his touch, but with hard muscle reinforcing them, keeping them firm rather than sagging, rather like Perfume's own breasts when the Enforcer had encouraged him to learn how to handle them without any clumsy groping. After a moment of feeling herself over she started to calm down and relax, trying to make sense of the changes that had come over her body with a change in gender...the sense of what it meant to be a woman. He knew enough about the pleasure-centers of a woman's body that he could explore those areas now and affirm that they were sensitive and could easily arouse a sense of overwhelming pleasure in the body that-  
momentarily-could drive away the sense of all of this being so foreign to his real nature. It, oddly enough, helped her to think more clearly about her present situation and bit back the tide of panic that had been rising before, in fact...

Curiosity got the better of her once again and she allowed her fingers to explore...LOWER...finding the reddish thatch to be a lot more sensitive than she would have imagined. A man's crotch was always sensitive to the touch, but without the bulk of a penis in the way she could find the hooded slit and...gently...coax her lips apart to expose the nub that had replaced his manhood. Once she touched this she felt a wave of sensation shoot up her spine, causing her to almost double-over in surprise, not having expected that degree of a reaction. If anything her clitoris was even MORE sensitive than a penis, containing the greatest concentration of nerve clusters in the body. In fact...

At any other time Ranma would have freaked at what she was doing, but given the nature of her present circumstances, simple curiosity got the better of her and she began to gently stroke along the nub of her sex, feeling the curious thrill of forbidden sensations rising up from her loins to electrify her whole nervous system. With her other hand she began to rub her tummy and breasts, relishing the odd way her own caresses stimulated such curious...pleasure...as if this were something she had dreamed about doing for years (all protests to the contrary, she **had** been curious about the effect her Senken maneuvers could have on a woman's body, judging by the reactions of her various wives when she pressed just the right combinations of...

"Are we having fun yet?" a familiar voice asked, and Ranma-chan looked with a start to find Madam Lao standing there with a knowing twinkle in her eyes that as much as suggested that she had caught Ranma-chan doing something especially naughty...

"EEP!" Ranma-chan yelped, yanking her hands away from what they had been doing.

"Oh, don't let me interrupt you in your self-discovery," Lao made a pacifying motion with both hands, "I just came here to see if you'd like a bit of company to help you out with your current...situation."

With that she made a motion with her head and Ranma-chan's attention shifted towards the blue-haired Blossom, who was leading someone along by a chain that was affixed to a leather collar, and that collar was worn by none other than Nabiki, who was chained and shackled with her hands cuffed behind her back, a ball-gag in her mouth and a pair of nipple-clips linked by a chain between her jiggling breasts.

"Nabiki?" Ranma gasped, covering herself up as though to hide a private shame from the eyes of his even more helpless wife.

"I thought you two should spend some quality time together," Lao remarked, "So I'm going to leave the both of you alone to get...re-acquainted. Of course to do this properly requires only a couple of minor changes. Blossom-dear, would you kindly unbuckle a few of her restraints?"

"As you wish it, my Lady," Lao's second-in-command replied, moving behind Nabiki and removing the ball-gag, then unhitching her leash before un-cuffing her wrists, and hastily standing back before Nabiki had a chance to reach out and grab her.

Before she could, however, Lao reached out a hand and splashed Nabiki with a summoned globe of cold water, causing Nabiki to sputter and shift into masculine state.

"Not to worry," Lao assured them, "You still have a few more days before your sex-changing will cause your baby any problems. I'll leave you two alone for now...and do keep in mind my offer to help you out with choosing a surrogate to be its ultimate mother."

"Bitch," Nabiki-kun snarled, clenching his hands together

"Good of you to notice," Lao said by way of formal introduction, moving back through the doorway through which they had entered, "Take your time and do whatever you like. I'm going to be a bit busy with other responsibilities for now, so can I trust the both of you to behave for a while? Good. Just remember, if you need anything, feel free to call out for help. Ciao."

With that the door was closed and locked behind them, leaving Nabiki and Ranma to sort things out between them. For a moment Ranma looked away and tried to will himself to become invisible, but she was too rattled to perform an effective Senken, and much too noticeable to Nabiki...especially now that he was Kaneda.

"You look like...?" Nabiki-kun started to say, then hesitantly asked, "Ranma?"

"Ah...yeah...um..." Ranma-chan winced, "How did you guess?"

"You look just like that...that alternate universe version of you we met a couple months back," Nabiki-kun swallowed, then growled angrily, "That Witch! What did she do to you?"

"She said it was temporary," Ranma-chan replied, "Instant Nyanniichuan...said she wanted me to know what you go through when you...change..."

"And she turned me male just to leave me with you," Nabiki-kun snarled between clenched teeth, "No doubt she expects us to...do something about this...that...that...OOOOHHH!"

In anger he lashed out at a wooden wall, but the reinforced timbers resister his effort, and it felt more like he was punching steel instead of resinous plant. In anger he sat down with a huff and fumed impotently, chaffing at the manacles that were still around his ankles and fingering them as though he wanted to tear them apart with his fingers. He scowled in vexation and stared angrily at the wall as though daring it to start something unpleasant.

"Ah..." Ranma-chan said awkwardly, all too aware of the fact that their gender situation was currently reversed and that she was feeling vulnerable, being even more helpless than Nabiki, "Guess she did something else besides...the usual stuff, huh?"

"The usual stuff?" Nabiki/Kaneda turned and glared at him, "You've got no idea, Ranma-kun! She...um...well...she...took advantage of me, and you know what that feels like for a woman?"

"Uh...I...kind of think I do," Ranma-chan replied, "Was it...bad...?"

"Define 'bad'," **Kaneda** scowled again, "In a way it was nothing less than I would have expected from her, but if I ever get my hands on her again, I'll...I'll..."

"Kill her?" Ranma-chan finished for him, then paused before adding, "Did you ever think...maybe...that's what she wants?"

"Huh?" Kaneda turned a mildly puzzled look in her direction.

"Well..." Ranma-chan deliberately forced herself to relax by a fraction, "Think about it...ever since we came on board...hasn't it seemed to you as if captain Lao's been trying to push you to fight her? She seems to get off on pushing your buttons, rattling your cage and trying to get you mad enough to challenge her in front of everybody back there in the party?"

"You think she's been doing this deliberately to pull my chain," Kaneda frowned, "Why?"

"I don't really know," Ranma-chan replied, giving a mildly nervous chuckle, "But...you think it could be that she actually wants you to fight her and maybe beat her? That way you'd wind up with command of the POJ and she'd either be free or be dead...either way she might call that winning."

Kaneda thought about that for a moment then shook his head, "No...that wouldn't make sense. Lao doesn't strike me as the suicidal type, and I can't see her wanting to give up command over this ship, not the way she has everything set up around here so she's the number one head honcho..."

"But didn't she tell us over and over that this ship is a kind of a curse that she wears around her neck like an ox-yoke?" Ranma-chan asked, "Maybe to her it is some kind of a burden that she wants to pass off onto your shoulders. Maybe she thinks you could be her natural successor, just like the Old Woman back home..."

Kaneda frowned but said, "Well...maybe there is a bit of that in it...but it doesn't justify what she's done..."

"Who said it does?" Ranma-chan asked, "Maybe she thinks what she's doing is necessary...or maybe she's hoping that you'll stop her. I mean...doesn't it feel to you like she's even more of a prisoner on this ship than those girls she surrounds herself with? She got the responsibility of hundreds of lives to look after, and she's gotta support them through piracy and kidnapping and slavery and stuff like that. Didn't she say that she used to be a different kind of person before she arrived here? Maybe she's trying to show you what changed her and made her into what she is now..."

"But why?" Kaneda asked, "What purpose would that..." he paused, "Unless...unless she isn't sure what her purpose is. Maybe she thinks she can turn me into someone like her, and that will prove that she really didn't have any choice but to be the dominant bitch queen that she's become..."

"You see?" Ranma-chan asked, "Then doing all this stuff isn't just to make us mad at her, she's trying to see if we'll react the way she wants us to behave. Maybe the way to beat her isn't to fight her at all, maybe if we just ignore her taunts then she'll give up and let us go..."

"And maybe pigs will fly," Kaneda sniffed, "She wants something from us, Ranchan, but I don't think she's planning to transfer the ownership papers to me just yet. Lao's clever but she isn't that subtle. She's trying to get me to do something...only what?"

"I dunno," Ranma-chan shrugged, "Thinking about stuff like this ain't usually my thing. I mostly leave the thinking part to you, only..."

"Only I haven't been doing much thinking lately, have I?" Kaneda finished for his...wife...? "Lao's been keeping me so rattled that I haven't been able to think straight, which I bet is the whole idea behind her yanking me around, doing one thing to me right after another..."

"But if you stop and think about it," Ranma-chan said, "You can still outsmart her. She's tough and smart, but she's also way too cocky about it. That's gotta make her vulnerable in a lot of ways we ought to be able to exploit."

"Right," Kaneda nodded, then paused as he studied his transformed husband for a moment, "It's weird...talking to you like this, Ranchan. I never thought you'd be so..."

"Yeah?" Ranma-chan asked in a wary voice.

"Um..." Kaneda glanced away, and though the light in the room was dim, Ranma-  
chan could almost swear that he was blushing, "Anyway...I've got to concentrate...think what Lao could possibly want...something that she doesn't already have, now that she has us..."

"The Senkens?" Ranma asked.

Kaneda blinked, "Not just the Senkens...the Kamasenken! Ranchan...she's after your system!"

"Huh?" Ranma-chan asked, "Are you sure about that?"

"Positive!" Kaneda insisted, "Ranchan...that combination of pressure-points and pleasure strokes is devastating! You used it on me and I felt my knees turn to warm butter! Any woman would be helpless to resist such an attack...in the wrong hands it would give someone absolute power over their lovers and turn even the staunchest renunciate into a quivering, pliant, obedient mold of jello...and Lao-by definitely-is exactly the wrong kind of hands for this powerful a system!"

"You mean you think it could make it easier for her to turn girls into sex-  
slaves?" Ranma asked.

"Not just any woman," Kaneda insisted, "Me! She knows I have no resistance to power of the Kamasenken, other than to block out nerve endings, and that only works as a temporary stopgap..."

"Um...there's just one problem with your idea, Nabiki," Ranma paused, "I think she already saw me use 'em with both you and the others."

"Huh?" Kaneda asked, "What makes you say that?"

"Just a hunch," Ranma-chan replied, "But in the last two or three days I've had to use the Kamasenken almost non-stop, and since Lao's been watching us the whole time from her Undines..."

Kaneda did pale as he thought on this, "Ranma, you baka! Why did you have to give it away for free like that? Don't you know what you've done? You've given her exactly what she wanted!"

"Um...well...at the time, I was thinking something more like...'Help?'" Ranma-  
chan winced, "I've been called on to perform almost non-stop sex every other waking hour of the day, so what was I supposed to do? Leave you guys feeling unhappy?"

"Um...well..." Kaneda conceded.

"Look, it's not that I mind everybody wanting to screw me at once," Ranma-chan said a bit defensively, "But I'm just one guy, and I'm only human. So I...let myself get carried away a little...so did everybody else, so...I just did what came natural..."

"That's it," Kaneda sighed, "We're doomed. And with everything about sex that Lao already knows..."

"What did she do to you anyway?" Ranma-chan asked, frowning as she said this.

"Um...well..." Kaneda hemmed and hawed a moment before saying, "Well...let's just say...that with everything I've been through, it's a wonder I can sit down straight..."

"She spanked you?" Ranma-chan asked with rounded eyes.

"Ah...that's...one way of putting it," Kaneda paused, then frowned again and said, "Of course I wonder if some of it isn't your fault after all, especially the way you keep nailing me in the ass, Captain Ecstasy. I can't blame Lao for getting...certain ideas about me..."

"Oh?" Ranma-chan asked, then blushed as she considered the implications.

They were silent for a long moment, but then Ranma-chan broke the silence by saying, "Nabiki?"

"Yeah?" Kaneda asked.

"If you're...upset about that...what I did to you in guy form," Ranma-chan hesitated before adding, "Then...if you wanna do it to me...it's all right...you can go ahead..."

"HUH?" Kaneda's eyebrows shot up to the ceiling.

"Who said that?" Ranma-chan hastily swallowed, "I mean...it wouldn't be manly to ask that kind of perverted stuff, right? Heheh...I ah...guess I kind of..."

"Are you feeling okay, Ranma-kun?" Kaneda asked, "Because for a minute there it wounded like you were asking me to Ass-Fuck you...did you really mean that?"

"Ah-ah-ah...well..." Ranma-chan began profusely sweating, "...It's this...body...I mean...being a girl...it's like I'm really, really sensitive in places...and as a guy I get these...feelings at times..."

"If you're wondering if I find you attractive like that," Kaneda reluctantly said, "Then yeah...I think you're sexy. But...Ranchan...this isn't really you. It's just one of Lao's perverted tricks that she's trying to use to get me to..." he swallowed thickly.

"Yeah, never happen, not in a million years," Ranma-chan said with increasing nervousness, "It's just...well...I can't help thinking...about Perfume..."

"About...Perfume?" Kaneda's expression took on another level of perplexed consternation.

"Yeah," Ranma-chan said, "Back when she temporarily swapped with your curse and turned into a guy and impregnated Ucchan. I...kind of resented her for that...like it was her fault, giving in that way, only now..." she swallowed again.

"You mean...you understand her better now?" Kaneda hazarded a guess.

"Oh yeah," Ranma-chan replied, "I mean...it was a one-shot deal, right? Never happen again, so she and Ucchan took advantage of what Lao did and...well...they seem pretty happy about having the baby. Funny thing is...I don't feel resentment now about Per-chan. She's a part of us, and I wouldn't have it any other way. Thing is...she's also a master of the Kamasenken..."

"You think Lao will try to put the squeeze on her to get whatever she doesn't already know about the art?" Kaneda asked.

"It's at least a possibility," Ranma-chan replied, "And with her low pain threshold..."

"I definitely wouldn't put it past her to try that," Kaneda said, "Well...it's a good thing the both of us are thinking clearly. There's no way that we'll give in and jump through Lao's hoops just because she set us up to try things out in the opposite genders, right?"

"Right," Ranma-chan agreed, then glanced down and said, "Then...why's that pointing at me, Nab-chan?"

"Uh..." Kaneda glanced down and felt...awkward about the fact that he was sporting a full erection.

"You're thinking about it, ain't ya?" Ranma-chan asked, "You wanna stick that in my..."

"Ranchan!" Nabiki sounded shocked, "Are you saying you think I want to rape you?"

"Well..." Ranma-chan replied, "What's so different about you doing it to me when I'm a girl? You jump me all the time when I'm a guy..."

"I do not jump you!" Kaneda insisted, "You're the one who came inside of me from behind, remember? Besides...I'm not really...feeling up to it right now..."

"You're lying."

"Uh..." Kaneda felt along the edges of the studded leather collar he was wearing, "Well...maybe I am...it's this damned ambience...something about this ship just makes you real horny and..."

"Tell me about it," Ranma-chan said with a sullen growl, "But you still wanna jump me...I can see it in your eyes, you're wondering what it be like to do me in this body..."

"Ranchan," Kaneda all but pleaded, "You know I'd never take advantage of you..."

"Why not?" Ranma-chan asked, "Ain't I good enough for you, big guy?"

"But...what...?" Kaneda blinked, "Ranchan...are you telling me you want me to do you as a guy? But don't you think...?"

"Don't matter to me whether you're Kaneda or not," Ranma-chan replied, "You're still Nabiki, an' that's what counts. Besides, when do you think the next time will come around that we'll have this kind of chance? Damn...I'm getting wound up just thinking about it! You're right about this damned ship doing something to make us act so..."

"Horny?" Kaneda coughed to clear the tightness in his throat, "Of course we don't have to act on our impulses...we're not mindless animals who rut just because the urge is on us..."

"You're right," Ranma-chan replied, "We don't have to give in and do it Lao's way...we can be strong and hold out...for the sake of the others, right?"

"Right," Kaneda nodded, "I'm glad we've both got that decided, don't you?"

"Yeah, right," Ranma-chan affirmed, and then the next second later she was embracing Kaneda, who reached out and took her into his arms, and before they both knew it they fell to the deck kissing and stroking one another. For the next several minutes all that could be heard was the sound of their moaning as they rolled around, ignoring their chains, letting their hands rove where they might as each one took in the other with the instinctual hunger that overcame a lifetime of conditioning and any confusion about their respective genders.

"What are we doing?" Nabiki gasped as she felt Ranma-chan plant kissed down her neck to her hard, flattened chest, "This isn't like us..."

"I know," Ranma-chan responded between affectionate licks, "So fuck me already, damn it! Like this!" and she took both of Kaneda's hands and brought them up to encircle her breasts, compelling Kaneda to fondle and mold them between his powerful fingers, pulling on her nipples and making Ranma-chan arch her back and utter a moan of approval towards the ceiling. She purposefully straddled Nabiki and pushed with her legs to grind her pelvis against his lower abdomen, then by inches found something hard and yielding between her ass-cheeks as she lightly pushed against him there and felt him respond with a stiffening of that member.

"Are you sure about this?" Kaneda asked as she felt Ranma-chan moving her body into position.

"No," Ranma-chan grunted back, "Are you?"

"Kami-sama...you're so beautiful..." Kaneda moaned as she stared up at the sight of the redheaded girl working her loins to bring the tip of his cock-head up against her well-lubricated opening.

"So are you," Ranma-chan replied, and then with a sigh eased herself down over Kaneda's manhood, pausing to grunt a little in pain as the member encountered unexpected resistance, and then a brief tearing inside, followed by a wonderful warmth that flowed through her as Kaneda pierced her hymen and took away the last token of her virginal status.

No other words passed between them from that point onward as Ranma-chan began to "ride" Kaneda's love-pole up and down, following the motions that were by-now familiar from being on the other end with his wives. It was hot and sweaty business, and the longer it went on the hotter both of them got as Ranma-chan experienced the joys of full penetration with Kaneda's large cock spearing her petite little body. Up and down she bobbed, her breasts moving in time with her hip motions, while Kaneda steadied her and held her up in position...slowly increasing the tempo and rhythm until at last a threshold was reached and the floodgates were opened for both parties.

For Kaneda it was the sight of pleasure and joy suffusing the face of her...wife...which made him come like a fountain deep inside her, while for Ranma-chan it was the sense of having a miniature explosion go off inside her, radiating outward like a warming tide that flooded her whole nervous system. It was a very intense sensation, entirely different from when she came as a man, and though some rational part of his mind was panicking at the possible implications of allowing this to happen, she silenced any qualms about her manhood by letting her feminine side take over...and take over it did, as though the curse itself provided a list of instinctual instructions.

Not content to merely climax inside his sex-changed husband, Kaneda rolled Ranma-chan over onto her back and straddled her in earnest, bending down to plant a kiss oh her lips while the redheaded girl's feet projected towards the ceiling. Kaneda used his new position to press home his advantage by moving his already-flaccid member back and forth within the opening, gradually restoring it to life as the fires of his lust rekindled his ardor. Ranma-chan stared up at him with half-lidded, adoring eyes and allowed him to master her body as Kaneda build up a slow and gradual rhythm, causing Ranma-chan to wave her legs in the air as she took all eight inches of him in each time he thrust against her, and gradually she felt herself losing all conscious awareness of all else but being ridden by her...husband. Far from feeling emasculated by the experience, she gave vent to her approval and cried out in joy when at last his efforts yielded the results that they both were after...

A while later Kaneda pulled out and spent the next several minutes lapping with his mouth at Ranma-chan's cream-filled "trough," like a starving man having a much-desired breakfast, delighting in the flavor of his own jism when mixed with her own juices. Ranma-chan was groaning and delirious with lust as Kaneda spent several minutes flicking his tongue and lips against her clitoris, then sucking the tiny member in as though performing felatio on the small scale, eventually giving Ranma-chan yet another intense orgasm.

Clouds and rain indeed, Ranma-chan's mind thought incoherently as Kaneda nuzzled up against her breasts and began to lick and suckle her, giving himself a moment to recover his strength before trying again with his manhood. This was better than anything that Ranma-chan could ever have dreamed about, the perverse fantasies that she had never dared indulge in while a boy, not having been the sort to spend much time in such fantasies, even when they concerned someone like Kodachi, the girl he had desired before meeting Nabiki.

Thoughts of Kodachi brought back memories of seeing the Black Rose getting it on with Keiko and Akane...and with that thought a brief spasm of jealousy...that Akane could enjoy something that he would have given an arm to experience, and for free! Then he thought about Akane herself and felt inexplicably horny...and then naturally thought of Keiko and swallowed, automatically contrasting her own body with that of the redheaded Kickboxer, and rating herself as the "small economy" version. Needless to say she felt a renewed sense of lust kick in right then and all at once responded by rolling Kaneda onto his back, intent on venting her lust in a surprisingly aggressive manner.

"What...?" Kaneda asked when he felt Ranma-chan's hand playing with his balls and hardening his manhood.

"Don't talk," Ranma-chan said, "Just push...I owe you this one..."

And with that Ranma-chan positioned the head of her "husband's loins at the gate to her sphincter, biting her lower lip as she rubbed some of her own "lubricant" around the opening to ease the way in, then...she sat down on him and slowly forced him into her own rectum.

About this point Ranma's mind would have ordinarily rebelled, but as far gone into the instinctual lust that was filling her with the desire for co-union with the woman inside the man she loved, she was determined to go the full distance. It was harder than taking her in the other opening...MUCH harder...and part-way she gasped and eased off, determined to gather her strength for the full effort, but soon she had him all the way inside her, fully mounted in the rear and coupled with her in the most intimate warmth near her spinal region.

Kaneda gasped as Ranma-chan eased herself those final few centimeters, then stared up in amazement at the expression of his lover as Ranma-chan released a pent-up breath and relaxed all around him. He automatically held her up with his hands placed just beneath her ribs, but before too long he was fondling her breasts again, stroking and fondling the girl who was impaled upon his manhood and marveling that Ranma-chan did not gag at the mere thought of taking him inside her. And then...slowly...gradually...the two of them began to work at building a gentle rhythm as she eased him in and out again, doing it by stages until he was fully able to reciprocate, and then she began to ride him in earnest, heedless of any discomfort that came with having something so big ram deep inside her **there**...over and over again...until the both of them got into the spirit of the thing and just went crazy with the ecstasy of good, old-  
fashioned Bum-fucking.

Sometime later, after Kaneda had his third consecutive climax, after Ranma-chan eased him out of her once again and the two of them could lay side-by-side panting with exhaustion from having spent the last two hours or so going at it like "Natural Born Hentai," Ranma-chan felt a wellspring of amusement rising up from within her and inexplicably chuckled aloud, "Was it good for you, too...Kaneda-chan?"

"Oh yeah..." Kaneda said with his arm around her shoulders, providing her a cradle upon which to rest her crimson head, "Everything was good...you really surprised me there, Ranchan...I didn't know you had it in you..."

"Me neither," Ranma-chan confessed, "Of course when I calm down and think about this, I'm probably gonna freak out about the whole deal. I mean...guys aren't supposed to do stuff like this...it's gotta be something in the air or the water..."

"Probably both," Kaneda sighed, "Lao doesn't know what she's got here...if she could bottle and sell this stuff, then she'd never have to make slaves out of anybody. She could get rich just marketing the essence of whatever it is she's been using...the stuff's more potent than Viagra."

"Man," Ranma-chan sighed to herself, "If the other guys could see us now...they'd think we both went insane or something..."

"Who says we didn't?" Kaneda gave her shoulders an affectionate squeeze, "But...crazy or not, you were terrific, Ranchan. I never knew you could be so...aggressive as a girl..."

"Hey, I'm a guy, remember?" Ranma-chan chuckled, "Guess I've always wondered what it'd be like to walk on the other side. This may be only temporary...but I think it's helped me to understand you better..."

"And what being a guy means for me most of the time?" Kaneda asked.

"That too," Ranma-chan responded, curling a leg around his leg and lightly stroking the inside with the instep of a bare foot, "Of course if anybody'd told me I'd be doing this with another guy, I'd have flattened them. Kuno would fall over laughing, and Ryoga..."

"Let them have their own girlfriends," Kaneda said possessively, "You're already taken."

"Heh," Ranma-chan laughed lightly, "'Course if Mom and Dad ever found out about this, they'd really freak. Stuff like this just ain't manly..."

"What do they know?" Kaneda sniffed, "You're the most manly guy I know, Ranma-  
kun...hell, you'd screw just about anything with a hole attached, and I've got three of them...usually..."

"Only two at the moment," Ranma-chan replied, "But that's more than enough. 'Guess maybe it's because I know that you're you, Nabiki, that makes this so much easier than it'd be with a total stranger. I can't help feeling this...turned on by you and horny...and it ain't important to me now whether you're a girl or a guy...you're still the same to me where it really matters."

"The I guess the same goes for you, Ranchan," Kaneda leered, then gasped as he felt a hand play around his loins once again as Ranma-chan's sensitive fingers began to stroke his scrotum and shaft, rubbing that hand up and down the limp member in order to make it grow back to life, which it did like magic.

"Y'know...I gotta thank Lao for whatever she did that's making me so horny," Ranma-chan remarked, "'Cause without it I just know that I'd never have the nerve to do...this..."

"W-wha...?" Kaneda had thought himself beyond the point of surprise, but seeing Ranma-chan moved down and position her mouth over his cock-shaft really made his eyebrows climb to the top of his hairline. He looked down with amazement as Ranma-chan began licking the shaft and teasing the member to a full erection, and then amazement turned to astonishment as he saw those lips go around the head and take him in and...

Kaneda arched his back and for the next few minutes lost all coherent awareness of everything but a velvety shaft down which his manhood traveled, as Ranma-chan performed orally her "wifely duties," and never once gagging as she slowly and methodically did her level best to drive her "husband" to distraction...and from distraction to a different kind of blissful surrender...

...Memories...a confusing jumble of images and impressions, of pain and yearning coupled with the horrified sensation of the mind and body going through the surges of withdrawal and satiation. Lifetimes wasted by the enslavement of the soul to a chemical substance that caused one to prostitute their will to their dependence. Lifetimes of degrading experiences, of things done in the name of their addiction came crashing down on her like a tide, driving out any pleasurable associations that might have linked her to her addiction, as pain replaced pleasure and ecstasy was driven away by a tide of unspeakable horrors...

And then...a warming solace as she at last reached a "normative" state of self-  
awareness. She slowly opened her eyes and began to take stock of her present state of being, at once struck by how deaf and blind she felt, as though her senses were dampened down to a mere fraction of their normal threshold. Despite this she felt...surprisingly good, at least on a physical level...though there was a very odd taste in her mouth. She was sitting in a room with muted lighting, sitting at a table on which she could smell food, and her stomach at once began to grumble with inexplicable hunger.

Then she opened her eyes and found Lila sitting there before her...a little off to one side of the table and leaning towards her with a highly concerned expression.

"L-Lila-chan?" she automatically asked, not realizing right away that she was talking in a language other than English, "What...?"

"Take it easy," her lover urged, "You've been through a lot, haven't you? Try taking a deep breath and relax a bit, and then we can talk about your...problem, Joan-chan."

"Joan...CHAN?" Joan started to move, only to discover that her hands would not rise above a certain level, and the present of cold metal against her skin gave her a start as she glanced down, seeing her wrists cuffed and held about her waist by golden manacles, "Say-what?"

"That's part of the problem we need to talk about," Lila said, "You see...you lost in a fight against Captain Lanocane and..."

"My powers!" Joan cried, "What happened to my powers?" she tried to break the chains binding her, but all her efforts did was tug the chains and tighten them around her kidneys.

"The same thing that happened to mine," said Martha, her mother, drawing Joan's attention to the other presence sitting with her at the table.

"M-Mom?" Joan blinked, taking in the fact that her mother was naked.

"You're wondering about these?" Martha raised her hands to show them similarly manacled, "They're made from Orichalcum...don't ask me to explain how, but they absorb the excess energy of our bodies, rendering us mortal. I'm in the same boat you are, Joan-chan, so don't try to break them...they're as tough as adamantium, and the locks are hard to pick."

"Orichalcum?" Joan replied, "You've gotta be kidding me! That stuff is rare! Only wizards know how to find it..."

"The captain is something of a wizard," Lila raised her own hands to show off the pair of cuffs that she was wearing, "Mine are made of plastic...some kind of acrylic-like substance, non-metallic and impervious to my magnetism."

"You mean...we're prisoners?" Joan blanched, "Who the hell has done this to us? Who'd have the balls to try and take us captive?"

"That would be me," said Lao herself as she came sauntering into the room, favoring Joan with a polite nod that was absent of her usual trademark smirk, "I'm the one you were attempting to kill a short while ago, remember?'

"You?" Joan started to lurch out of her chair, only to find her legs were too hobbled to manage the stride that she attempted. She fell unceremoniously to the floor and bumped her hip, earning from her a nasty turn of invective.

At once Lila was at her side, helping her to sit back up, while Lao folded her arms over her naked chest and said, "I understand that you are upset with me, young lady, but under the circumstances I suggest you don't attempt anything too hasty."

"Who the fuck are you?" Joan spat, "And why the hell are you doing this...?"

"Several reasons," Lao shrugged, "Not the least of which is that you came after me and attacked me on my own ship. You lost the fight, which means you are my prisoners, just as is your mother and your lover. But fear not, I am not here to taunt you with that fact...I am here because you have a problem that needs to be addressed...a problem that your mother and girlfriend now know about, and with their consent I am here to help you."

"Problem?" Joan said warily as she allowed Lila to set her back in her chair, "I don't know what you..."

"Joan-chan," Martha said quietly, "Why didn't you ever tell me about your V-45 addiction?"

Joan froze, her expression at once resembling the proverbial deer caught in the headlight, staring first at her mother in shock then at Lila as she asked in an almost accusing tone, "You told her?"

"No," Lila said, "I didn't have to. Madam Lao found out by her own means and told us all about it...how General Gordon addicted you, and the kinds of things you've done under his influence."

"You...what?" Joan shot a hard glance at Madam Lao, "YOU HAD NO RIGHT-!"

"I beg to differ, young lady," Lao replied, "On my ship, I am the one who decides who has rights and who does not. You attacked me and lost, that makes you my responsibility to deal with as I deem proper, and because I cannot abide having a drug addict on board this ship, I have taken it upon myself to detoxify you and purge the drugs out of your system."

"You...what?" Joan blinked, "How?"

"I have my means," Lao looked at her in a hard, unwavering manner, "Would you care to find out the hard way?"

In Joan's mind the image of a mental and physical assault overwhelming her senses caused her to recoil from the stare of the captain.

"You see where this is headed?" Lao asked, "Look into your mind, into those deep recesses that occupy your soul, the dark corridors that haunt your waking consciousness...you will find me there waiting for you, waiting to confront you with the truth should you even think to deny it."

"Who...who are you?" Joan asked in dawning horror.

"Who am I?" Lao did not smile as she came to stand before a quivering Joan, "I am appetite unlimited, I am pleasure, I am pain, I am the thing you most fear and what you most long to experience and cherish...I am ecstasy, I am carnality, I am flesh and blood which feeds on little girls like you. I am the Tiger Force at the center of your world, what causes you to rebel against authority and makes you strong when you are weakest. I am Lanocane...Lao Khan, the Sea Tiger, Queen of Bondage and Submission, and-at the present-your judge, jury and jailer. Have you any questions about that?"

"Bondage?" Joan blinked, "You've got to be kidding!"

Lao leaned forward, "Do I look like someone who would kid you about this."

"No," Joan said, and suddenly lunged forward, only to find her wrists gripped and twisted to the side as she was flipped over and landed in the middle of the table, scattering food in all directions.

"Ah, I see you have spirit," Lao smiled, "All the better, but your reflexes-  
while good by human standards-are pitiably slow if you want to take me on. Nonetheless, it is a good place to begin, with you on your backside and ready to take it."

"Is this necessary, Captain?" Lila asked, "You don't have to be so rough with her..."

"You think so?" Lao replied, backing away, "Then I'll leave her in your care. I have other duties to attend, and she is yours to deal with as the both of you please. I'll leave her in your care until I return, be sure that she is ready...or the results will be most unpleasant."

Lao turned to leave, but she did not get far beyond the door before she paused and opened her thoughts to listening to the events going on back in the room behind her. Having played the role of the "Tough Guy" to the hilt it was up to Martha and Lila to do the hard part of coaxing her along with the knowledge of her condition.

Joan-being a reasonably intelligent person-picked up at once on the implications and said, "What did she mean...leave me in your care?"

"Joan-chan," Martha said with a sigh, "Can you forgive me?"

"Huh?" Joan asked, "For what?"

"For failing you as a mother," Martha replied, "I should have been there for you when you were growing up, I should have built the confidence and trust that would have let you turn to me when you needed my guidance. I've been selfish and self-absorbed, and you've had every right to grow up angry and resentful..."

"What?" Joan asked, "You're admitting that? Wha...who are you, and what have you done with my mother?"

Martha actually smiled at that, "Have I changed so much in only a few hours? You're the third person to ask me that question...but, never mind...I'm not the real issue here. General Gordon is."

"General Gordon?" Joan was on her guard again, but Lila shook her head to discourage her from continuing the evasion.

"We know about what that bastard did to you," Lila said, "Feeding you those drugs to bolster your natural powers, making you into an addict, then having you do all those terrible things for the government..."

"Gordon isn't really the government," Martha frowned, "He's a rogue operative doing the bidding of shadowy characters who operate without the clear authority of the Pentagon or the Executive branch of government. I...used to work with him when I was your age..."

"You?" Joan stared in dismay, "Mom?"

"It's true," Martha nodded grimly, "I've done...things for the government that I'd rather not talk about. Black Ops stuff, but only when I agreed with it on merits. It happened shortly after Infinity Incorporated went belly up and I was...at loose ends with my life. I was asked to do things that...I'm really not too proud about...and then father found out and hit the ceiling. It's one of the reasons he decided to move the family oversees, to make sure no one in our family could ever be used like that again. I...didn't agree with him...I wanted to stay an American and raise you in as close to normal a manner as I could. Then Hal...your father...left us...and everything fell apart. I buried myself in my work and stopped being your mother...and for that I am truly sorry. But I swear to you...I never thought Gordon would go to such extremes or use you like his tool for murder, assassination and political intrigue..."

"No..." Joan cringed and tried to get off the table, but Lily stopped her with both hands, gently-but-firmly, "You can't know about that! Nobody's supposed to know..."

"Joan," Lila said, "It's over. You don't belong to him, you no longer have the V-45 drug in you. You're clean, you don't have the addiction. The captain...removed it from your system..."

"How?" Joan asked, "Nobody could do that! Even the scientists of planet RUR couldn't extract it from my DNA...you'd have to use..."

"Magic?" Martha replied ruefully, "Yeah...tell me about it."

"It's been done, Joan-chan," Lila said, "You're cured...at least physically and emotionally...but we have to make sure you don't relapse or go back to working for Gordon. The captain's been kind enough to offer us a chance at a new life...and while I don't agree with everything she does...not by a long shot...I'm willing to work with her if it means having you free of your addiction."

"You're going to...what?" Joan asked, "And...what's this chan stuff? What...what language are we speaking?"

"Japanese," Martha answered.

"But I don't speak Japanese!" Joan protested.

"Neither did I until now," Lila smiled, "But you learn something new every day."

"But I'm American!" Joan protested, "I want to speak American, dammit!"

"Hey, when in China, speak Mandarin," Lila shrugged, "It's the captain's ship, her rules, and besides...you have more important things to worry about."

"Such as deciding whether you're going to work with us and accept our help," Martha insisted, "We know about what's been done in the past, we want to work with you to get you through this, but we won't let you relapse into old patterns and bad habits. I haven't been the mother you've needed in years, but that's about to change, and I'm laying down the law as of now. You may be of age legally, but here the captain of the ship is the law, and she's placed you in our care until further notice."

"And I'm not going to stomach watching you destroy yourself either," Lila said quite firmly, "I've been powerless to do anything until now, and it's been tearing me up inside. You mean so much to me, and yet there's a part of you that I can't touch or do anything about. Well, that stops right now...now you're going to let me into that part of your world, and THEN we're going to have a long heart-to-heart chat about your work with General Gordon..."

And-faced with the determined looks that she saw in the faces of her mother and her lover, Joan swallowed thickly and began to know the true face of terror, earning a smile of satisfaction from Lao, who silently congratulated Lila for playing her role as "fellow inmate" to the hilt, the better to make it seem as if all three women shared co-equal status of enslavement...and only later would it be revealed that Lila was not quite the innocent she pretended, but was in fact Joan's ACTUAL possessor.

The better, of course, to work on Joan into a bright and wonderful future, but first one had to crawl before they could learn to beg, and Joan had a lot of learning to do, but learn she would under Lao's studious and benign guidance. Lila would have her lover, and Martha would have back her daughter, and everyone would be so much happier and the better for these exchanges...

Everyone except General Gordon, of course, and Lao would not be in that man's shoes for all the tea in China, not even for her elusive freedom, but that would wait for another day and a very different sort of challenge...

Continued.

Comments/Criticisms/Chartered Drug Therapy ala Lao Enterprises: shadowmane

Joan's ordeal has only just begun, but if you think everything has been going Lao's way, think again, gentle effendi!* This cruise is just starting to move into troubled waters as Lao herself finds out, while Ranma and Nabiki come to a serious realization, and Beatrice make a proposition of her own...all this and the birth of Alison's baby! Be here for: "Cruising for a Bruising," or "Slaver on the Seas of Slate!" Be seeing you!

(*A kind of Arab Fruit Salad.)

X

If you wish to check out my other works, Please check out my Fanfiction webpage at: . All related chapters of this series can be found there along with my other works.  
/pre 


	16. Chapter 16

preDNabikiTHCh16

Nabiki 1/2

"A Very Scary Thought!"

THE HONEYMOON HENTAI CHAPTERS

By Jim Robert Bader

(Inspired by the works of Rumiko Takahashi Others)

Part Sixteen.

HENTAI ALERT-ROUGH SEAS AHEAD!  
NOW ENTERING THE LEMON-LIME ZONE,  
WHERE A KISS IS NOT JUST A KISS, AND A SIGH IS MUCH MORE THAN A SIGH, AND A SMILE IS A WARNING SIGN THAT YOU'D BETTER START RUNNING! EXCESSIVE USE OF PLOT DEVICES CAN LEAD TO DIZZINESS,  
NAUSEA, STOMACH CRAMPS HEARTBURN,  
ACHES PAINS AND THE HEARTBREAK OF PSORIASIS-YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED!

"All right then," said Lao as she advanced onto the bridge, "I'm here, what's so important that it has intrude of my having fun with our guests?"

"My apologies, my lady," Lotus reported, "I was summoned before you to investigate, and Lieutenant N'shalla here has been briefing me for the last fifteen minutes on a problem that has come up rather unexpectedly."

"A problem?" Lao turned to the officer of the watch and quirked an eyebrow.

"My lady," the lieutenant in question replied, "I am at a loss to explain it, but we appear to have drifted off course and will not be arriving in the Philippines as planned on our abbreviated schedule..."

"Off course?" Lao blinked her eyes, "How did that happen?"

"There appears to be a problem with the Kraken, Ma'am," replied sonar operator Kelsey, "As you have instructed, it has been assisting us in making better than normal progress, but in the past twelve hours it seems to have acquired the direction sense of a Hibiki. It appears to have been wandering all over this part of the pacific, and it's dragging us with it so that we are further to the east of our projected position, at least if we go by sonar readings of the ocean bottom, astronomical data from the helm and our geostar tracking relay outlet, all three of which agree on the coordinates of latitude nineteen degrees, thirty-seven minutes by longitude one thirty-four-point-six-two..."

"We're out in the middle of the open ocean?" Lao quirked the other eyebrow at this revelation.

"Hundreds of miles to the east of our intended destination, my lady," Lotus remarked, "Nearing the Mariana Islands and headed in a south-by-south easterly direction."

"I see," Lao frowned, "It would seem the Kraken was more affected by those chemicals in Joan Wayne's system than even I imagined. Well...no harm in that, soon enough it will return to normal, and then we can get back on course to our intended destination."

"My lady," Lotus paused before saying, "What if the Kraken is not moving in a totally purposeless and random manner? You know what else is far to the south of our position..."

"I know," Lao said grimly, her expression entirely sober for the moment, "It could be that it hears the silent call of its own kind, but there is little danger of it becoming that active, unless some fool were to tamper with forces beyond their understanding and awaken that which should remain undisturbed, but I've heard no rumors about that, not since my husband managed to cancel that expedition some fool from Japan was planning for Antarctica. Let us hope that it remains canceled for the sake of all who live on the planet..."

"Indeed, my lady," Lotus nodded, "As your husband would say, there are some things that were meant to remain unknown to the general public..."

"I just knew someone was going to say that," Lao rolled her eyes, "Remind me to punish you for that later..."

"My lady," Lieutenant N'shalla spoke up again, "Perhaps it might be a bad time to bring this up, but when we were in port last we picked up some supplies that proved to be of less than...satisfactory quality. The malefactors who failed to test the quality of the merchandise have been summarily punished in the playroom and are appropriately chagrined for their oversight, but as a consequence we are lacking in certain food supplies and must stock up once again in the pantry...or else the chef says that we will not be able to prepare your...favorite delicacy."

"We have to replenish our stores...again?" Lao quirked and eyebrow, "Well...we can't have my people eating food that is less than satisfactory...my favorite delicacy, you say? Hmm...well...I suppose we could put in at some island on the way and send foraging parties inland to find whatever the chef requires. See to it and inform me when we spot the nearest sizeable body of land, will you? I need to return to supervising the induction of our newest houseguests."

"Very good, my lady," Lotus nodded, "It will be as you wish."

"Good," Lao turned away, "And have my chief surgeon examine the Kraken to test its chemical balance to insure that it really is the presence of those drugs and not...that other thing we've mentioned. I'll be down below if I'm needed, so don't hesitate to call. This delay is a damned nuisance...we have shipping agreements, and we're behind schedule already, and this thing with the Tendo Posse is taking up even more time and energy than I imagined that it would...but then again, I suppose that's what makes them so much fun. If entertaining them were easy, then my job wouldn't be so rewarding."

"Indeed, my lady," Lotus nodded, then paused before adding, "And when would you like to schedule my punishment session?"

"Maybe shortly before dinner," Lao smiled, "I always work up such an appetite playing with my dinner, and you squirm so nicely when I have you tied down on my platter."

Lotus nodded in acknowledgement of her captain's compliment and felt a slight shiver of anticipation, counting away the hours until her...punishment was meted...one of the perks that came with the job and often made serving under her fellow Amazon such an interesting experience, the kind that reminded one overly much of a certain Chinese proverb...

"I want to thank you for agreeing to serve as my tour-guide, Keiko-san...I doubt that I could find the way without you."

"Hey, nothing to it, Beiko-chan," Keiko replied, "I know this place can seem pretty intimidating on your first time out, but live here for a couple of years and you can basically find your way to anywhere you want to be. I know where the Mistress stores the trainees when they're going through orientation, and it's more than likely that she's put Ranma and Nabiki there for storage while she tends to other business."

"I see," Beatrice mused in a thoughtful manner, "Then she really does treat people like cargo, storing them away when they are of no immediate use to her..."

"Oh no, that's only with the new inductees," Keiko replied, "Until they prove their worth and are ready to fit in they go through standard slave orientation to weed out the ones who don't have much potential. They get shuttled off to another storage hold for offloading at the next appropriate port. The ones who make the grade go on to the more luxurious accommodations and six weeks on intensive slave training."

"And those are the girls who become the true cargo of trade for your mistress?" Beatrice observed.

"No, actually, beyond the first initiation they then go on to advanced training," Keiko replied, "It takes a few months to produce a first-rate concubine, and it's a process that you just can't rush, not unless you want damaged goods and an imperfect training regimen..."

"You mean full indoctrination protocols?" Beatrice asked.

"If you mean brainwashing," Keiko said frostily, "Call it that if you like, but I went through this program myself and I can vouch for it's effectiveness. Just don't expect me to endorse the idea that these girls are all unwilling victims..."

"But they did start out that way, did they not?" Beatrice pointed out.

"Well duh," Keiko sniffed, "Madam Lao doesn't exactly put an add in the wanted sections of the papers asking if there are willing volunteers who'd like to be full-time submissives. Of course the subject of free will is a pretty iffy one if you know where many of these girls come from. You won't be so quick to pass judgement until you meet some of the real assholes who work these girls over BEFORE they get rescued by the Mistress."

"Meaning yourself and the pirates who kidnapped you and separated you from your mother?" Beatrice remarked.

"And the Snakeheads who ship desperate people from the Chinese Mainland with promises of fair employment," Keiko noted, "And the pimps who take runaway girls and force them to turn tricks on a drug habit, and, and the parents who treat their kids as little more than slaves, and the girls who have boring lives and dead-end jobs with no families and no futures..."

"I notice that you only count the ones whose lot is an improvement," Beatrice observed, "What of the ones who have lives and families, who are not traumatized by life and who will be missed by those who love them?"

"Well, I won't say that never happens," Keiko shrugged, "But the Mistress tends to avoid girls like that because of the trouble they tend to attract. If there's even a chance that one of the pickups will be missed or bring down the law or vengeful relatives, she tends to throw them back first chance she gets. If you're talking about a real beauty who doesn't have ties to anyone else, then it's possible...but not every really pretty girl is cut out for this business. Mind you, the Mistress likes a challenge as much as the next dominatrix, but there's no fun in it for her if the party she plays with can only wind up hurt, bruised and basically resentful..."

"You mean like Nabiki?" Beatrice noted with a certain arched lilt to her tone.

"I don't know what to say about that," Keiko sighed, "She's exactly the wrong sort, the kind who'd never fit into a life on this ship. The Mistress is obviously playing with her, but it's not with the intent of turning her into a concubine for the harem."

"Then perhaps her purposes lie somewhere else," Beatrice mused, "I've had my suspicions on that, but without more information I can only manage an imperfect conjecture. I wish to share some of my thoughts with Nabiki, of course, to see if her observations can mesh well with my own..."

"Well, guess all you want," Keiko sniffed as they came at last to a chamber door that was barred by a wooden plank, and with a casual effort removed this barrier and swung the door open, "But spare me the pity, I've heard it all already. I'm happy with my life, and what's past is in the past, and if Nabiki can't understand that, then she's even more of a stuck-in-the-mud than I..."

She paused as the both of them got a good look at the interior of the small storage room, and then both women stared at the sight with rounded eyes of a sleeping Nabiki-kun cradling a redhead in the crook of one arm, both of them naked and clearly enjoying the exhausted state of the sexually satiated. The sight of the two of them together was at once inspirational and yet-at the same time-disturbing in the eyes of the silver-haired genius and pigtailed kickboxer.

"Whoah," Keiko remarked.

"My sentiments exactly," Beatrice agreed beside her.

"Uh...wha...?" stirred the male form of Kaneda, glancing up to find two familiar faces staring at him in the doorway, "What...what time is it? What are you guys doing here...?"

"I believe the latter question is moot," Beatrice remarked, "We are here to find you, but rather it is what the two of you are doing here that seems more germane to the moment."

"Uh...well..." Kaneda suddenly took notice of the redhead sleeping peacefully within the nook of her arm.

"Yeah," Keiko drawled as she pointed a finger, "Now who is that, and why does she look a lot like me? Is she one of the new recruits or...?"

"Ranma," Beatrice arched an eyebrow, "Or should I say...Ranma-chan?"

"Huh?" Keiko blinked, "Ranma, but...oh wait! You mean...like that alternate universe guy, the one who had the Jusenkyo curse? Oh...I get it now..."

"W-Wha...?" Ranma-chan stirred, hearing her name being mentioned, and after a bleary moment of clearing the fog out of her eyes she yawned and stretched, showing off an excellent-if very petite for all her generous endowments-  
profile, "Oh...hi guys...what's shaking..."

"Let me take a wild guess and say...you were," Beatrice remarked with a very droll expression.

"Huh?' Ranma-chan glanced down, then turned to look at Kaneda, and all at once made a hasty effort to cover herself with her hands, "EEEEPPP!"

"That's Saotome all right," Keiko sighed, "Relax guy, we've already seen your equipment, and besides, you're talking to the genuine article here. Besides, I'm older and I'm much better built..."

"Say what?" Ranma-chan reacted, forgetting her lame attempt at feminine modesty as she half-stood with her arms raised, only to belatedly remember the chains that were encumbering about her wrists and ankles.

"Well now," Beatrice mused, "It was not our intent to embarrass you or intrude on your private interlude, but I was hoping to have the chance to talk with the both of you, and since you obviously have been rather busy by yourselves, I was hoping you could spare a moment to chat..."

"You're enjoying this, aren't you?" Kaneda growled.

"Oh yeah...you bet," Keiko smirked, "Gotta tell you, Saotome, you surprise me more and more all of the time..."

"Oh shut up," Ranma-chan growled.

"What did you want to talk about, Beiko?" Kaneda asked.

"Well, actually," Beatrice winked, "I came to talk about the both of you...and why I suspect that you've been having so much trouble with the captain. Would you care to hear my hypothesis?"

"Sure," Kaneda shrugged, "You got a ten yen piece, I'm all ears."

"Obviously I left my purse in my other pocket," Beatrice patted her bare hip with meaning, "But you may take it on credit that what I have to say is worth your time, especially if you have an interest in knowing how to best the captain at her own game. Are you curious to hear what I have to say now?"

Both Kaneda and Ranma-chan perked up at that, and indeed they did seem VERY interested, so much so that they resolved to let the insinuating blonde live for another hour, conditional on whether or not the information was of use to them, and even then it was looking more and more certain that someone very shortly would be due for a major spanking...

Joan yelped as the cricket paddle was applied to her fanny, bent over a padded sawhorse as she was and in no condition to resist the punishment being applied to her by a surprisingly stern Lila.

Off to the side Martha watched, not unmoved, as the strawberry blonde Mistress of Magnetism vented some long pent-up frustration issues with her helpless daughter, oddly disturbed and aroused by the image of Joan's bottom being tanned a light pink color at the hands of another woman. Under ordinary circumstances she would have objected vociferously to such abuse of her one and only child, but given all that she had recently learned about Joan's...activities for the National Security Office...she had come to agree that a certain amount of physical duress was indeed called for. Not that she was unsympathetic to Joan's plight, but-as Captain Lao had explained to them-positive and negative reinforcement of behavior was a sure way to insure that there would be no eventual relapses.

"...And this is for running up our joint credit account without telling me," Lila said as she gave another "thwack" with the paddle against her lover's lightly tanned asscheeks, "...And this is for the way you acted in front of my parents when they came to pay us a visit...and this is for tying me up and leaving me in that closet when you wanted to go flirt with Tara..."

"I'm sorry!" Joan pleaded, "I didn't mean that, Lila-chan...honest...I'll be good...!"

"How are we doing?" asked Madam Lao, who just then walked back into the aptly-  
named playroom, "Are we making any progress?"

"Some," Martha replied, "You were right about using corporal punishment to help resolve some long-unsettled issues between Joan and Lila. It's amazing just to listen to their litany...it almost sounds like a regular marriage."

"And you find that surprising?" Lao asked with an arched eyebrow.

"Frankly...yes..." Martha winced, "I'm still trying to get used to the whole notion about Same-Sex marriages being a good thing. Up until now I thought broadening the very definition of a marriage would be tantamount to weakening the institution..."

"How could that possibly be so?" Lao wondered, "Love is love, and marriage is the union of two souls who pledge their hearts as one...or so I believed when I was young and relatively innocent. How can the mere fact that both marriage partners are of the same gender weaken the institution itself?"

"You may be right about that," Martha turned a curious look Lao's way, "You sound like quite a cynic when you talk about your first marriage...but you hardly ever mention your second husband..."

"That's because we prefer to live apart," Lao replied, "Ours is a marriage as much of convenience as emotion...though I'd be lying to suggest that there was no passion between us. If anything there is a lot of mutual respect that underlies the actual amount of time that we do spend in each others company."

"But he doesn't approve of your lifestyle?" Martha asked.

"No," Martha folded her arms under her chest, "And if you want the truth, I can't really say I blame him. He's of nobler quality than I am...he was made from the best that is in humanity, and I wouldn't want him any different. There's only room for one black sheep in this family, and if I have to be a villain, I might as well be a good one."

"You're a poet," Martha sniffed, "By the way...you lied to me."

"Oh?" Lao cocked her other eyebrow, "What about?"

"I talked with some of the concubines in your seraglio," Martha frowned, "They said that the average going price for an untrained girl is hardly less than twenty thousand US dollars. For someone with unusual talents they say the price is even higher...closer to a quarter of a million. That means you sold my daughter back to me for only a fraction of her actual price."

"Say what?" Joan cried out as Lila paused in the conclusion of her spanking session, "You did WHAT TO ME? Mom-how could you!"

"Very easily," Martha replied, "Captain Lao has been gracious enough to work out a business arrangement with me to secure our personal freedom, and only it seems that she was a little too generous in her terms, which does surprise me as I thought you were in this business to make money."

"Well, I am," Lao said a bit uneasily, "But I see no profit in antagonizing the family of a great and noble heroic dynasty, especially one who has contributed so much to the defense of the planet..."

"Of course," Martha nodded sagely, "But selling my daughter back to me at such a low rate is a bit...insulting. Joan is worth a lot more to me than a paltry five thousand dollars..."

"What?" Joan cried again, "You mean I've been...marked down?"

"You were damaged goods when you came on board," Lao replied, "I was going to charge for expenses for treating you and putting you through rehabilitation."

"What, have I been kidnapped by K-Mart or something?" Joan sounded faintly appalled.

"Sounds to me more like Pick and Save," Lila smiled, "But lucky me, I get you back for a bargain."

"Just the same," Martha said, "I won't consider anything less than fifty thousand for Joan...and-from what I've gathered from talking with the others-  
-your actual bargain price for her should be something closer to five or ten million, at least."

"Well..." Lao looked oddly sheepish as she responded, "Far be it from me to argue with a client, especially one who wants to bid up her price..."

"Which reminds me," Martha mused, "How much would you accept for me to buy back my own freedom? You never did give me an estimate on what you thought I was worth."

"Well..." Lao's smile took on a more sultry undertone, "If I were selling you back...I might consider it a steal to...practically give you away for a mere twenty million..."

"Twenty million?" Joan stammered, "Why is she worth so much more than me?"

"Experience, kid," Lao replied, "There are a lot of people in this world who'd pay that much for Power Woman...not that I'd even consider selling her to someone who didn't appreciate her actual worth..."

"Flatterer," Martha smiled as she stroked a hand against Lao's arm in an entirely friendly manner.

Joan stared from where she was bent over then said, "Okay...now I'm officially freaked..."

"Oh, it isn't so bad, really," Lila smiled, "Your mother and I have been talking a lot while you were recovering inside the Kraken, Joan-chan. She's really not that bad a sort after all...certainly nothing like the ogre you made out to seem..."

"Oho," Martha mused, "An ogre am I? And what else has she called me."

"Well..." Lila began slyly.

"Don't you dare!" Joan warned.

"Don't I dare do what?" Lila smiled, "Do you mean...this?" and with that she stroked some fingers along the space between her lover's ass-cheeks, causing Joan to moan and roll up her eyes as she squirmed helplessly under the caress of those soft fingers.

"Better do as she says, Joan-chan," Martha noted, "I'm paying a lot of money for you, and I'm giving you to Lila as a present."

"You...did what?" Joan asked between light groans and some moaning.

"That's right," Lila grinned broadly, "That means I get to own you as my own personal love-slave, which also means that I get to do this..."

And with that she sank to her knees behind Joan's pink-tinged bottom, placing her mouth over the other woman's now-lubricated loins and putting her tongue to work, which had the immediate effect of causing Joan to arch her feet against the floor and roll back her eyes as an involuntary groan escaped her lips.

"They do seem to make a lovely couple," Lao mused, "An with a little coaching and training, I think everything will work out all right."

"I certainly hope so," Martha averred, turning to glance at the pirate slaver, "There's something I've been meaning to ask you, though..."

"Oh?" Lao asked, "Feel free to ask anything you like."

"This business of yours...selling women into slavery for a profit," Martha frowned, "Just who exactly are the sort of people who would buy a woman from you at such expensive prices?"

"Oh, you would be surprised," Lao nodded, "I suppose you expect that a man who would want to own a woman as his personal sex slave must be some incredibly low form of life, the brutish dregs of human society, knuckle dragging misogynists who exult in lording it over a helpless piece of flesh that they can use and abuse at their leisure..."

"Well," Martha asked, "Aren't they?"

"Such men do exist," Lao replied, "But I have no dealings with that like. Those are exactly the wrong sort of men to have for my clients. I'm very selective about who I sell a woman too...after all, I put a lot of time and effort into training a courtesan, and I don't do it just so she can be discarded like a used piece of kleenex..."

"That wouldn't make very much sense," Martha agreed, and "It doesn't sound at all like you, but I'm trying to get my mind wrapped around the very concept of a decent man wanting to own a woman..."

"Perhaps 'decent' is too generous a term," Lao shrugged, "My clients more fall into the category of 'semi-decent,' mainly rich and powerful men who have...a certain problem forming a mature relationship with a woman on a normal one-to-  
one basis. Surely you must know the type to whom I am referring...men who are not inherently bad creatures on the whole, but who have-for one reason or another-a problem with forging a stable partnership with a member of the opposite sex."

"You mean social wallflowers," Martha remarked, "Geeks and Nerds and social jerks who can't get a date if their life depended on it?"

"I prefer to think of them as socially underdeveloped in the interpersonal relationship department," Lao replied, "Pity them, if you must...men who have brains and talents that cause them to become a great success in their professional fields...but who fail utterly in the most basic achievement of Male-dominant culture...the ability to attract the female of our species. They are often too shy and too introverted to know how to reach out and connect with another human being...no one taught them how to be warm, charming, witty and clever. They may actually have looks and brains, but when it comes to starting up a decent conversation...they are effectively retarded. They have all the material comforts that they should ever need to be good providers, but they don't know how to attract a mate, and so they live lives of lonely, quiet desperation, often living vicariously through other means, such as cheap porn sites or high-cost hookers."

"A hooker would cost considerably less," Martha noted.

"But not be half so versatile or accommodating," Lao noted, "Or come with as many...complicating factors."

"But what if they're old, ugly as sin and have personalities that match?" Martha asked.

"Then I wouldn't be doing business with them in the first place," Lao replied, "I'm very selective about my clientele, and I personally screen the men with whom I do business to insure that they are the sorts who have legitimate needs and who will have a proper appreciation for the type of women that I can provide them."

"And so you provide them with their ideal fantasy women made flesh?" Martha concluded.

"I do them one better than that," Lao replied, "I provide them with fully skilled and highly accomplished social entertainers...versed in both sex and protocol and knowledgeable in the ways of pleasing a man...not just physically but emotionally. These men have vulnerabilities that can be played with to make them emotionally bonded to their concubines, and once these women have earned their trust they can...help to guide these poor fellows into becoming better human beings..."

"Oh really?" Martha arched an eyebrow.

"Oh yes," Lao nodded, "Behind a successful man there truly is a woman...unless, of course, he's the type who prefers a man, but you meet all sorts in this business. A concubine is more than just some mindless toy or pliant doll...she is a helpmate and a confidence-builder who can whisper encouragingly in the ear of a man and help him to realize how to become a more successful human being. A concubine has several advantages over a wife, not the least being that she will not leave or dessert him. She does not spend her time belittling or putting her master down, or tearing down his ego while running up his credit. She doesn't make him feel small and insignificant, or tell him that he is worthless and a poor provider, or make him out to be a bad person for all his personal failings. She won't run away with another man, she won't stab him in the back-unless he truly deserves it-she won't sue for divorce and take half of all of his possessions or set him up to take a fall...unless he is the sort who deserves a proper comeuppance."

"Which you provide if it turns out that he's a closet sleezebag?" Martha asked.

"If a man destroys a Rolls Royce or Lamborghini, that is his prerogative," Lao replied, "If he damages a great work of art, then he is a barbarian who wastes the treasures of civilization and does a gross disservice to humanity. But if that same man so much as lays one rude hand upon a woman who has come from my services and treats her as something less than human...then I will know about it, and he will suffer for it, as surely as the Gods of my homeland are my witness."

"But you're providing these men with more than just a high-class escort service, right?" Martha asked.

"That is the point of training concubines...to make women into slaves, and to make slaves into something more than a bought and held servant," Lao answered, "I teach them how to manage themselves in situations most people could not even imagine...but I don't aim to turn them into professional victims. These women go on to make what they can of their lot in life, but often they have power far beyond their supposed status. In a great many cases they are like professional councilors and training coaches schooled in teaching their Masters how to become a better class of human being. There is a lot of coaching, wheedling, cajoling and nudging involved, of course, but by turns a concubine can become the voice of reason and the conscience of her Master..."

"She can also become the power behind the throne," Martha deduced, "The one who pulls his strings and makes him serve her needs...and through her you could influence kings and princes throughout Asia..."

"You catch on quick," Lao winked, "And by turns the philosophy that I impart on my women can find its way into more common dissemination."

"A philosophy where women serve men but also control them?" Martha deduced.

"Women have been doing that since the dawn of time," Lao replied, "I just teach them to be better at it than most."

"You could also become a power behind the power behind the throne by controlling these men through your women," Martha continued, "Some might even see this as an attempt at world domination."

Lao actually laughed out loud at that, a light-hearted gesture lacking any trace of sarcasm or condescension, "What would I do if I had the power to rule the world? Do you think I have that sort of an ego that I could presume to dictate the affairs of millions of people? I would like to see the world change and be made into a better place, make no mistake about that, but actually force it to change according to my standards? That would be the ultimate folly!"

"But still...you do have influence that goes well beyond this ship," Martha noted.

"I do at that, but not control, and certainly not real power," Lao sighed, "There are many things that sadden me about this lovely world of ours...the arrogance of those who have wealth and power, their contempt for the poor and the weak, the disdain they show to the environment and the rapacious greed that squanders the limited resources of this planet. Most Asian cultures have a truly appalling view of womanhood, China no less than any other. Men in the Asian world almost habitually despise girl children and rate their own wives very lightly. A woman is a second-class human being by definition in their eyes, valued only for her fertility and the comfort that she sometimes provides. That is the way things have been for countless generations, a condition I loathe utterly, just like the petty, provincial mindset of the semi-civilized tribes that call themselves nations with their mercantile feudal lords vying for influence and mindless profit. Daughters are sold like chattel, wives are little better than slaves, and labor is cheap with wages well below the level of subsistence..."

"And you seek to change all that by subverting the system from within?" Martha wondered.

"The men I cater to control the lives of countless others," Lao said in a flat, no-nonsense manner, "I may not be able to control their actions, but if I can have even a slight effect in changing their behavior, then you had better believe that I will do what is necessary to achieve this. If I must break a few eggs to achieve my goal, then so be it...just so long as I make certain who is the victim and who is the true servant of change and progress."

"So you actually have benevolent goals, but your means are those of a slaver," Martha inclined her head and studied the profile of the Pirate-queen, "You are a very complex person, Captain."

"Look whose talking," Lao smiled, "Well met indeed, Lady Chairman."

The sound of Joan giving vent to an orgasm filled the air and brought a momentary pause to their conversation. When at last they could speak again Martha said, "Yes, I think they are making real progress..."

"That Lila is very talented for one who's had no prior training as a dominatrix," Lao mused.

"I think it comes more from living out unrealized fantasies," Martha mused, "The young are very adaptable, or so I've noticed."

"Indeed," Lao agreed, "So I've noticed. By the way, can I interest you in sharing a drink?"

"Just a drink?" Martha arched her other eyebrow, then rattled her chains in a meaningful manner, "After all, I've got a few days until the time when you've agreed to release me, and this is a place of training, is it not?"

"Very good," Lao nodded with a smile that was lascivious and inviting, "You are learning."

"I pride myself on being adaptable too," Martha smiled back, "Besides...I still want to know more about this...operation of yours...and to judge for myself if it really is a good or a bad thing."

"Depends on how you define the word, 'Bad,'" Lao mused, reaching out a finger and slipping it through the ring on Martha's collar, then pulling her closer so that she could peer down into Martha's eyes and add, "And I can be very 'bad,' when I want to be...Slave."

And for some strange reason Martha found herself warming up to the idea, even as she felt a shiver run down her spine as she bargained herself into a very long and exhaustive "fact-finding" session...

Ryoga was in a quandary, and not for the usual reason that plagued his otherwise quite contented existence. He was trying to sort out his feelings about Akane...or-to be more precise-what he felt about Akane and her relationship with her two best friends, Kodachi and Keiko. Perhaps it would be even more exact to say that he was trying to sort out his own feelings about both girls, and why the four of them seemed to be spending so much time having sex when a simpler arrangement would have sufficed him just as grandly.

Well, make no mistake...he did like the sex part, and he knew that he was enjoying something most boys his age did not even dare to dream about, namely having sex with three very hot and desirable girls who seemed intent on pleasing him every much as they did enjoy pleasing one another. In truth he had no complaint about that either...how could he object to such generosity of body and spirit? No, he had no qualms about their willingness to share their bodies with him, nor did he protest innocence in desiring them in an equal measure...

...It was just...

He really wanted to spend more time with Akane doing other things beside having sex...like talking and holding hands and enjoying sweet pauses in which absolutely nothing was said and yet great volumes of meaning could be divined in a single shared glance. Walking along a beach enjoying the sand beneath their feet would also be very nice, or sitting side-by-side under a full moon with only the stars as their witness as they whiled away the hour doing nothing in particular but enjoy their time spent just being with each other.

That romantic image clashed rather rudely with the actuality of his present existence, finding his waking hours a simple question of which girl would be riding him this time...Akane, Kodachi or Keiko-chan. In truth he liked being ridden by each of them in turn, and of having a girl sit on his face while another girl gave him a blow job and a third teased and played with his chest. That and the marmalade sauce that sometimes got spread over him and licked away with hungry devotion...he could no longer even look at an innocent can of whipped cream or hot fudge without having memories of **other** ways that they could be used beside topping ice cream. He now had a very intimate idea of what alternate uses could be found for a clothespin, and what reams of nylon cord could do in the hands of a girl who could teach a sailor new ways of tying down a ship...and never mind what his manhood thought for itself when presented with a ring to hold it hard and proper! He could close his eyes and recite the various positions that he had seen a girl tied into and know intimately what it felt like to have your body compressed in such a position.

In truth his imagination was fairly exhausted with all the ways he had sought to keep his girlfriends entertained, and that did not even carry over to Lao's minions, who seemed to think of him as their personal sex machine, being the only "man" that they had been allowed to play with in many a long moon. What else did they want from him after they milked him dry and sucked him off like a siphon? It was all that he could do to keep a cool head when his other head was rock-hard and frosty, and all because he did not know how to say "no" to a girl, especially when she asked him so nicely!

And to think...at one time he had even doubted that women could ever like him, when all he had was his martial arts and a lousy sense of direction. Now here he was getting more than he had ever imagined possible and it was making him feel the pressure to deliver more to these raging sex machines than he knew how to summon up. Logically, therefore, he knew that he should have put his foot down and set some basic ground rules that would govern how relationships should blossom between his designated iinazuke and her more sexually liberated friends. Akane used to be fairly straight-laced and shy about her own sexual appeal, but...of late...she had become like a religious convert, more open and adventuresome, more sexually aggressive, and even a little bit-no-make that DOWNRIGHT SCARY!

It was not that she intimidated him, oh no! She was still a very sweet, considerate, thoughtful girl who could be remarkably kind-hearted and warmly compassionate to others. She did have a bit of a temper, he admitted, and was quick to anger when she did not always get her way. Though not as clever or domestically gifted as her two sisters, she had everything that he wanted in a future wife, and he was honored beyond measure that she had even consented to accept him as her future husband...but...

Well...there were times when she seemed to be just a little bit too obsessed with trying out new things, with taking Kodachi or Keiko's lead and just plain running away with it! To her sex was like a soccer ball that she was intent on kicking down the field to the ultimate goal of YET ANOTHER ORGASM, like the mere discovery that women could feel such things and not feel bad about it had opened some kind of floodgate in her mind and had inspired her to try just about anything that promised to give her one, no matter how kinky, bizarre or outlandish the lengths she had to perform in order to get to that cherished place. It was the performance itself that obsessed her, and all Kodachi had to do was to hint that something had a pleasurable outcome and Akane would leap at the thing and try it out, trusting implicitly in her best friend's assurances that the thing was worthwhile, and Akane would accept this.

Take for example what she was having him do for her at the moment. Kodachi had introduced Akane to the Pillory, a western medieval torture device that was originally intended to induce pain and humiliation to whatever party was subjected to its embrace. Here the nominal "victim" bent down at the waist to place their head and wrists in a folding frame, which was then closed over them to hold them in a bent-over position that left their posterior exposed to all kinds of "possibilities," as Kodachi had put it. Akane had barely even hesitated to put herself into the thing and was now reaping the "benefits" of having her bottom thrust outward so that Kodachi could **play** with it at her discretion. Akane was trapped and helpless, unable to defend herself and totally exposed as the Black Rose did as she liked with the rear end of her body, alternately fingering, caressing, licking, spanking, squeezing and finally flogging her with a velvety laced implement that caused Akane to yelp in pain and yet somehow also begin to shiver with anticipation. Before too long Akane was begging for mercy, which came only AFTER Kodachi had switched to a bamboo switch and had painted several pinkish lines across her already reddened ass-  
cheeks. "Mercy" came when Kodachi switched from torture to cunnalingus, and before too long she had Akane gasping, moaning, groaning and pleading for more, absolutely delirious with the delights Kodachi was inflicting upon her, even sobbing with joy at her eventual climax.

During all of this Ryoga had stood riveted like a statue-albeit a statue with a raging hard-on that would simply not go away no matter what else he tried to think about, even finding memories of his mother and pet dog, Shirokuro, was no great help in curing him of his condition. Ryoga-when fully erect-was not as long endowed as either Ranma or even Kaneda (not that he spent time looking and comparing himself to other boys...oh no, no way, not him!), but for a good six inches his manhood was noticeably wider and thicker..."heavier" was the way one of the concubines had put it...thick enough to give some girls a "jawlock" when they tried to suck him. Oddly enough, Akane had no difficulty fitting him into...either opening (he blushed when he thought about this) and had even affectionately nick-named it "Trunks," (that she thought to give his penis a pet name was-he thought-vaguely disturbing in itself) which he supposed was better than being called "Stumpy." (His ego still smarted from the single time that Ranma had called him that, before Ryoga got in a lucky punch that sent him soaring across deck)

Just the same, despite his qualms and moral objections, when Kodachi stood up and urged him forward, Ryoga had responded with almost robotic movements, complying with her wishes as she insisted that he put his **thing** inside of Akane's now-well lubricated opening...and that was how he had come (no pun intended) to be pumping away at her rear opening while Kodachi took position on the other end and had Akane busy plying her tongue into some wholesome cunnalingus. Ryoga's raging hard-on demanded that he give his iinazuke his all, riding a grunting and groaning Akane for all that she was worth, and all that he was worth as well, all the time wondering at himself and just when he had become such a "stud" around his fiancée.

It was times such as these when Ryoga wondered whether or not Kodachi was a "good" or a "bad" influence on Akane. The Black Rose-a recovering drug addict-had made sex into her principle addiction of choice and had used her friendship with Akane to convince her to share in this addiction (and-by osmosis-this had included Ryoga into the sphere of their mutual "addiction"). It was as much to Kodachi as the redheaded Keiko that Akane now owed her singular...fascination...and that meant that Ryoga had little choice but to play along and do as they bid him with the promise that they would "make it worth his while" for his troubles. Kodachi was the one who initiated the ideas that Akane now took as gospel, and because she was best friends with Akane there was no taboo subject between them, no point at which Akane would balk or turn away or declare that she "just would not do this." Kodachi made everything seem like magic to Akane, and she trusted her implicitly, even when it meant a painful session such as this. There was no question but that it was Kodachi who called the shots here, and Akane was putty in her hands, hers to mold and shape into the affectionate "little slave girl" whom the Black Rose had taken to calling her "apprentice."

That disturbed Ryoga for several reasons, not least of which that it meant that Kodachi was the dominant sex partner here. Some masculine portion of Ryoga's brain refused to accept the idea of a woman being in the driver's seat, leading everyone along and even making Keiko happily jump through her hoops. Kodachi-  
who made no secret about the fact that she looked up to Madam Lao as a role model-was clearly intent on turning Akane-and even Ryoga himself-into her personal pet possession. The degree of influence that she had over Akane was alarming, even more so because Akane seemed to be allowing it to happen, even willing herself to be at Kodachi's "tender mercies." Ryoga wondered if this was because they really were such **very close friends,** or was it possible that Kodachi and Akane were in love with one another, which meant-technically at least-that Kodachi was his primary rival?

Only...how could one be a rival to a girl who let you share in their sexual adventures...or who was just as welling to submit her ass to Ryoga's dick as she was Akane's?

Ryoga wondered about his actual feelings towards the beautiful "Black Rose" of the Kuno family. True he found her exciting company, pretty, nicely built, very athletic in frame and wonderfully compact with a body that could bend easily into all sorts of **interesting** positions. She had long, slender legs, well-  
shaped feet and a nicely rounded posterior that you could literally bounce an egg off of, and nicely shaped breasts that were neither too big nor too small but just about "right" in size (certainly larger than Akane's). Every square centimeter of Kodachi was desirably feminine, and he certainly had no complaints about her as a sexual partner. There was a warm and giving nature to her lovely features that contrasted sharply with the haughty noblewoman she had originally struck him as being. Kodachi was generous and affectionate, a good and loyal friend who could be a fearless defender of what and whom she valued, and not so overly proud or condescending as she might once have appeared to be. Since her recovery from her addiction, Kodachi had gone to great lengths to attempt to repair damaged fences and strained relationships, especially with her fellow teammates on the gymnastics team of her former high school. In fact there was a great deal about her that a man could admire, and were it not that he was already committed to Akane, Ryoga would have considered her as a possible "alternate" girlfriend.

That Kodachi had a kinky and semi-sadistic streak was just a curious part of the otherwise contradictory package that she represented. Her "Sado-Masochistic" urges were quite apart from the sweet and considerate person that she would appear to be when dealing with non-sexual situations. Kodachi was witty, insightful, smart, a good advisor, had sound judgement in most things and even very sardonic...to a point where she seemed to overlap traits with Nabiki, with whom she was at least cordial, if not a warmly friendly on other matters. There was little about Kodachi per-se with which Ryoga could object, but...well...how exactly did he **feel** about the "other woman" in Akane's life? For that matter, how did Ryoga feel about Kodachi's relationship with Arigami Keiko?

Well...Keiko was his friend from childhood...he knew her pretty well, never had any complaints about her, nor did he ever think twice about her overt lesbianism. That Keiko would also accept him in a sexual situation was...surprising...given that Ryoga knew that she had no interest in sex with men and did not find him as personally attractive as either Kodachi or Akane. Keiko made no secret that she would have sex with him as a favor to both him and her two (genuine) lovers, but even so Keiko did her level best to bring him off, plying her considerable skill as a courtesan to turn the "simple" act of making love into something truly mind-blowing. Ryoga was no where near conceited enough to think that she was turned on to his virility, but when Keiko was going to work on him she could make him feel as though she genuinely cared about him as a lover.

Weird...and yet in a nice sort of way...at least Keiko never bruised his ego or rubbed his nose in the fact that she was also Akane's lover. To her making out was just an expression of their mutual friendship, and she often spoke encouragingly to bolster Ryoga's flagging self-esteem, making him feel important, and-even more-that he was attractive and desirable to women. The lonely hermit that he had been for much of his life warmed brightly when he thought about the kindness Keiko had displayed towards him, even before they had taken to sharing a bed with Akane and Kodachi. He knew he could trust Keiko implicitly, that she would also be supportive and never demean him for his shortcomings. She might lightly tease about his direction sense but she never failed to come through with assistance when he had to get someplace and was in need of her guidance. Heck, she was smart and pretty too, and he could really go for her in a way that overlooked her "girls-only" leanings and...

Ryoga shook himself out of his daze, coming back to reality as the need to "cum" took over, forcing him to focus on the "here and now" when Akane expected him to deliver...and deliver the "goods" he most certainly did, firing off a load inside her that helped Akane to come over the edge herself as she quivered and moaned, sending gentle vibrations through her mouth into Kodachi, who also seemed to experience a climax in a kind of "love-chain-reaction." Moments later Ryoga felt his strength begin to flag and had to eased off in order to catch his breath, even as Kodachi sagged to her knees and Akane remained where she was, panting fiercely. For a moment there was only the sound of heavy breathing in the air, but at length Kodachi leaned forward and kissed Akane's face, her cheeks her forehead and finally her mouth, where the two of them lingered for a bit, obviously exchanging tongues, though Ryoga was too pooped to be more than stoically interested at the moment.

Then-once they broke their lip-lock-Akane said to Kodachi, "Wow...I've never cum that hard before! You were right, this was terrific!"

"Didn't I tell you it would be, my sweet?" Kodachi purred affectionately as she caressed Akane's chin with her fingers, then turned her violet eyes past her lover's shoulder and said, "And was it good for you too, Ryoga-kun?"

He could only nod his head in reply, privately finding the way she had spoken his name to be oddly...satisfying for some peculiar reason...

"Too bad Keiko-chan wasn't here," Akane mused in a semi-exhausted-yet-  
deliriously-happy tone of voice, "I could have stood having someone suckle my breasts while I'm like this...it would have made things even more perfect."

"Perhaps the next time," Kodachi promised, "My darling pet had to attend to other...duties. But when she gets back, why don't we give her some of this same fun? Will you be up to doing this again with Keiko-chan in the pillory, Ryoga-  
kun, in-say-another hour?"

"Another hour?" Ryoga almost squeaked, finding it difficult to even remain upright. He weakly smiled at this (in a fairly appalled kind of way) and thought to himself that he was either the luckiest guy in the world at that moment...or surely the one most doomed to die of exhaustion before he turned twenty!

Which reminded him...where was Ranma at, or Nabiki for that matter, and what kind of "special business" did Keiko have with Beatrice, who for once had left the side of her pregnant sex-partner that had called the both of them away in such an inexplicable manner...?

"...The problem is a fairly simple one, if you try to look at it objectively for a moment," Beatrice began, "The two of you both lost to captain Lao despite combining your best moves and efforts...in fact, she defeated you with such apparent ease that one must wonder why you bothered to challenge her in the first place."

"Maybe because I wanted to see how good she really was," Kaneda frowned, "I've only fought her once before, but I've improved a lot since then..."

"Not enough," Keiko sniffed, "And I told you so before you got so snitty about it."

"Look," Kaneda sighed, "I'm sorry about what I said back there...but you have to understand something, Kei-chan...I'm worried about you...I'm worried about all of us. Lao has such a stranglehold over everybody living here, I had to do something to break that hold before it tightened too much around all of our necks."

"And of course you think I'm just her brainwashed little pawn who can't be trusted to know her own mind around my lady?" Keiko glared down her nose at Kaneda as if daring her to contradict this.

"Well," Ranma-chan started to say, "You've gotta admit...you do come across acting like you think she can walk on water or something..."

"She CAN walk on water, you twit," Keiko snapped, "But that's got nothing to do with how I feel about my former Mistress."

"Kei-chan," Kaneda said, "Try and look at it from our perspective...you're a smart, intelligent person, the kind who shouldn't take shit from anybody, and you're too strong to let anybody put you down. I've never seen you back down from either a challenge or a fight, and you've got very strong opinions that you're not afraid of expressing in front of anyone, even your parents. Yet how someone so independent minded can be so willing to submit themselves to bondage and servitude..."

"You don't think I do it because I want to?" Keiko asked.

"Kei-chan," Kaneda shook his head, "All Lao has to do is crook her little finger and you turn into her personal lap-dog. Try telling me that she hasn't put some kind of mental compulsion on you..."

"You just don't get it, do you?" Keiko shook her head, almost sadly, "Brainwashing a person doesn't work like you think it does. You can't hypnotize someone to do something that's against their personal nature. Lao couldn't make me love a man if my life depended on it, but she taught me how to enjoy sex for its own sake and not quibble about the gender of my partner..."

"You see?" Kaneda asked, "And you don't call that brainwashing?"

"No," Keiko replied, "I don't. Conditioning is a whole different order of magnitude from the kind of mental domination that you're talking about. The human mind is a very complex organ, it operates from a combination of learned reflexes and hard-wired programming. My sex-preference is hard-wired into me, it's a part of my genetics. I can learn to work around it but I can't undo it...there just is a different sort of biochemical reaction that I feel when I'm in the presence of testosterone, so I can't be compelled to do something that is so anathema to my fundamental nature."

"But what about the way the girls on this ship all live like some big lesbian commune?" Ranma-chan pointed out.

"That's different," Keiko replied, "There's no hard-wired gene that makes a woman incapable of loving other women...wishful thinking on the part of chauvinists notwithstanding. Women, by our very nature, were meant to live in social groups, and often in hunting societies that meant that we had to share warmth and cooperate together. If there were such a thing as an anti-woman gene, then such groups would have fragmented and civilization itself would never have gotten started. Even in the animal world you can see evidence of this, how females copulate with other females, and males copulate with other males. Most people are Bisexual because it's nature's way of getting us to cooperate. If all of our biology were turned to competition and jealous rivalry, then we'd never have formed social groups or learned to work together as a species."

"Fascinating," Beatrice mused, "And here I thought our bisexuality was due to the Solenoid influence in our distant ancestry..."

"But how do you know that your behavior isn't directly controlled by Lao?" Kaneda asked, "For Kami's sake...you SOLD yourself to Kodachi!"

"And you could have been my owner, but you missed your chance," Keiko replied, "Nabiki...you just don't seem to get the point of what I'm telling you...I may seem independent-minded to you, but in my heart of hearts, I WANT TO BE OWNED BY ANOTHER WOMAN, especially one who cares about me, like Kodachi! I'm a submissive...I enjoy taking orders from my lover and doing what she tells me. I may seem like a kick-butt martial artist to you, but once I discovered this fact about myself, I knew that I could never be happy in an ordinary relationship where I wasn't being led on a leash and tormented with affection by someone who cares enough to buy me and treat me like a possession."

"Uh...don't get me wrong, but...ARE YOU NUTS OR SOMETHING?" Ranma-chan blurted out, "Owning people and doing stuff like that to them..."

"What's the matter, Saotome?" Keiko smiled, "Jealous? Or are you going to tell me that the thought of having Nabchan on a leash begging you for attention doesn't appeal to you on some deep, perversely dark level?"

"Huh...?" Ranma-chan blinked, then noticed the way that "Kaneda" was glancing towards her with a cocked eyebrow and a look of deep suspicion. Reflexively she swallowed...

"Maybe I wouldn't be like this if it weren't for Madam Lao," Keiko resumed, "And maybe I have absorbed her outlook on sexual matters, but it's not because she brainwashed me into thinking her way was the best. The fact is that I AGREE with her that certain types of women are best served by wearing chains and a collar. I LIKE BEING CHAINED UP AND TORMENTED! It's something that gives me a deep, personal thrill and a great deal of satisfaction. Kinky stuff to me is like food and drink...it spices up the sex and makes it possible to enjoy it on a level that goes well beyond a simple Rim job..."

"Oh yeah?" Kaneda asked, "You didn't seem to enjoy it too much when I found you in Chu Wan Phat's arena."

"That's different," Keiko sniffed, "Chu Wan Phat was my owner only because he forced my Mistress to sell me to him in order to avoid real trouble. Lao never deals with his type on a regular business level...he was a competitor backing a rival fighter in an arena, and I won feet down in that Kickboxing tournament. The bastard then used strong-arm tactics to force her to relinquish her ownership of me, and I never would have consented unless I knew the alternative could have been harmful to my Mistress."

"But you suffered in captivity under him," Kaneda pointed out, "And you didn't even try to escape until I showed up to help you..."

"That was because I didn't think I could get away if I tried leaving his cage," Keiko pointed out, "I was tough enough even then that I didn't fear him or his men...I could killed the lot of them and never even worked up a sweat...but then I'd have been a marked woman throughout the slums of Hong Kong, a fugitive in a very real sense. I only agreed to leave because it would have meant you staying behind in my place if I didn't. You convinced me that the two of us together could put that bastard in his place, and we did...and then you ran off and left me alone...thanks to that damned 'Uncle" of yours..."

"Yes, but the point is...you stayed and let yourself be raped and humiliated by that animal," Kaneda insisted, "And when you lost to me it sounded like he was going to kill you."

"Oh, he had something planned for me that was a LOT more unpleasant than simple killing," Keiko winced, "You don't know the underworld there, what they do to people, what they find amusing. It would have been...bad...no doubt about that...and yet I've seen it happen to other girls who displeased their masters. Trust me when I say this, I was NOT looking forward to hanging around afterwards and winding up...barbecued...and served to my Master like a suckling pig..."

"SAY WHAT?" Ranma-chan blurted, looking ill.

"You are joking about this?" Beatrice marveled.

"Hey," Keiko said grimly, "There are more perverse things in human existence than are dreamt of in your imaginations, guys...and count yourself lucky about that."

Kaneda sat there round-eyed and just stared in disbelief, then said, "And...you'd have let him do this to you?"

"Hey, I was at loose ends, damaged good in my own eyes," Keiko shrugged, "Death would have been a release at that point, but you showed me a better way, and for that I'm grateful."

"But...he wouldn't have really...?" Ranma-chan swallowed, "That's sick!"

"It is...not without precedence," Beatrice said with a disquieted expression, "In my travels I have...heard about such things..."

"Keiko!" Kaneda half-rose to his manacled feet, "Doesn't that mean anything to you, that you could have meant to little to a man who claimed to be your Master that he'd be willing to...to...to..."

"Eat me?" Keiko replied without flinching, "I've seen worse fates...like girls being fed to sharks and alligators, or even piranhas, just so their owners can watch them get eaten. I've seen torture and beheadings that would turn the stomach of a Holy Roman Inquisitor, and yeah...I've seen even worse things, like a girl being tossed into a vat of acid, or forced to deliberately eat poison that caused a hideous and prolonged death, so yeah...I've seen the dregs and the pits of hell and lived to tell about it, so what has this got to do with Madam Lao and her ways?"

"But they're the same thing!" Kaneda insisted, "Maybe not by degree, but by the same sick mentality of one person believing that they can be owned by another..."

"They're not the same thing," Keiko shook her head, "You just think that being a Slave means being a prisoner without rights and privileges, you think it means being a victim. It's not the same thing, Nabiki...Phat was a ruthless coward, a conniving back-stabber, a hideous boil on the toe of society who thought his money and influence gave him real power over others. He liked to remind the people around him that he was the Lord and Master of their fate, and people like that inevitably bring themselves down with the resentments they breed in others. He may have owned me and was-for a time-my Master, but he was never truly my MASTER where it counted. Lao taught me to see the difference between a man who has to use force to earn respect, and a man who earns respect because he demonstrates real power."

"How can you say that?" Kaneda asked, "Phat's just a more extreme version of Lao..."

"DON'T SAY THAT!" Keiko snarled, suddenly in his face, "DON'T EVER COMPARE MADAM LAO TO PHAT IN FRONT OF ME EVER AGAIN! You may be my friend, Nabiki, but you don't have the right to even think something like that in my face, and if you say it again I'll go up the side of your head and do a tap-dance on your skull to beat some sense into that thick-!"

"AHEM," Beatrice intervened, causing a momentary distraction in the growing altercation, "To your corners, ladies...times out and all that. Let me see if I can frame the argument that you are making here, Arigami-san...you are saying that being a Slave is not a simple matter of being brutalized into submission?"

"Of course I'm saying that," Keiko replied, "Mindless brutality can whip a helpless person into submission, but it can't make them genuinely like their captor."

"And you, Nabiki-kun, are saying that you believe that her attitudes are the result of subliminal brainwashing?" Beatrice asked of Kaneda.

"What other explanation can there be?" Kaneda asked.

"Then you reject the premise that there is such a thing as a submissive personality trait...or is it that you regard such a thing as a pathology?" Beatrice wondered, "In which case you believe that Keiko-san here is a pathologically driven person?"

"Uh...well...no..." Kaneda hesitated, only to hear Keiko snort in derision.

"You are aware, are you not, that the International Psychological Association does not define Submissiveness as a pathology," Beatrice continued, "Although having a submissive personality disorder can be defined as a special category. Most research on the subject has shown that those who engage in games of dominance and submission are-remarkably enough-quite stable and sociable, having reasonably well-adjusted personalities in spite of their tendency towards a certain...fetish. If anything, having an outlet for interpersonal tensions would appear to help these people to remain stable and well adjusted...no doubt because they can compartmentalize their emotions in a more systematic manner, reserving time for their aggressions-and for sex-apart from their daily lives and routine pursuits. Putting on the chains or taking up the whip is like a game they play on a part-time basis...pleasant enough while it lasts, and then they remove those chains and go back about their regular business."

"I don't get it," Ranma-chan said, "How can something like that be healthy? It sounds more like a Jeckle-and-Hyde thing..."

"Doctor Jeckle and Mister Hyde-to go by that famous Robert Louis Stevenson novel," Beatrice explained, "Were two sides to the same personality made manifest. Doctor Jeckle starts out fretting that he lives an apparent double-  
life as both a well-respected pillar of society and as a man who visits the lower quarters to engage in revelry and debauchery quite apart from the Victorian standard. He decides to separate his light and dark halves into two people, the Virtuous Doctor and the dastardly Hyde, only to see his darker half go out of control, not restrained by his humanity and former benevolence. In the end the two parts wind up in a destructive pursuit to reverse the process. I believe it may have been an allegorical story about cocaine addiction, but that's really not relevant to the subject at hand."

"Right," Keiko nodded, having calmed down considerably while this clinical explanation was being given, "Only I'm not divided about what I want...there's no separation between my light and dark elements. I'm perfectly balanced between the two, which is a major part of what I'm getting at here. Lao puts us in closer touch with our hidden side, our inner sexual being, and she helps us to bring what's hidden to the surface and make us enjoy it. Yeah, it seems kind of heavy on the fetish stuff, but that's what it means to be uninhibited about sex...to unleash my inner slave personality and allow me to indulge myself in a free and casual manner."

"And Chu Wan Phat?" Kaneda asked.

"Couldn't care less about whether we enjoyed ourselves or not," Keiko replied, "If anything he enjoyed it even more when we DIDN'T like doing his bidding. The girls in his employ were victims, pure and simple, and I had to go along with stuff that even I'm ashamed about doing. Good thing for me he prized me for my combat skills, so he never did anything that would have left me permanently crippled. I would have been 'damaged goods' if he'd been as rough about it as it was with the other women who came and went through his service. Believe me, if I'd had a real chance at getting away with it, I would have broken him like a twig and eviscerated his insides and never shed a tear about it. I would have done that, too, if you hadn't talked me out of it at the last second."

"Yeah...silly me..." Kaneda swallowed, looking very ill at the moment.

"There's a big difference between being a Pleasure Girl and being that kind of a slave, Nabiki," Keiko persisted, "Being a trained courtesan means that I have just as much control over the situation as my Mistress or Master. I can do things that allow me to get the upper hand so that my owner is doing what I want them to do to me, but there is a certain amount of thrill to being helpless and at someone else's mercy..."

"Fascinating," Beatrice nodded, "But this does tend to drag us off the subject. I came here to talk about why you lost to Madam Lao, and why I believe she is putting you through all of these paces. Would you care now to hear my theory?"

"Go ahead," Kaneda nodded, "I'm all ears."

"First off," Beatrice said, "It should be painfully obvious to anyone that the two of you are not being groomed to be sex-slaves, though I could see a certain...appeal you both might have to potential buyers."

Ranma-chan colored pinkly and tried not to look as ill-at-ease as she felt at the concept of someone wanting to own her, while Kaneda just frowned darkly and said, "Do go on."

"Indeed," Beatrice nodded, "It would seem to me that Lao has been giving you only a mere taste of what sort of things she does to...persuade her women to submit to her influence...but it would seem more likely that she is testing you both to see how far you can go in resisting her efforts. She isn't really forcing the matter...beyond the stage of a certain token gesture..."

Kaneda had an image of his female self bent over a sawhorse while being worked over by both Lao and her two minions, Lotus and Blossom, and of being hung up with ropes while that selfsame twosome took liberties with her naked body, and abruptly it was Kaneda's turn to blush crimson, while scowling in obvious displeasure.

"...What if the aim is to inspire you to fight back in earnest against her efforts?" Beatrice replied, "Perhaps it is the fighter within both of you who most intrigue our goodly captain and is the source of her real interest. What if she were pushing you in order to provoke you into pushing back, and that scene in the harem...followed by your humiliation in battle...were but a calculated part of a larger scheme to motivate you into improving yourselves as fighters?"

"She wants us to keep fighting her?" Ranma asked.

"Think about it," Beatrice urged, "She said it herself...a captain has absolute power over her own vessel. Well...never could this be more the truth than on this particular vessel, where the very wood that it is made from obeys her wishes, and where she can draw upon the resources of the ultimate terror weapon in her employ...the Kraken?"

"Yes, I see what you're getting at," Kaneda nodded, "Lao once told me that her powers on land are considerably less than they are while she is on this ship. She able to tap into the lei-lines and manna concentrations here to make herself a much stronger fighter."

"And yet she can still be beaten," Beatrice mused, "Doctor Steinberg was able to best her within her own stronghold, and so decisively that Madam Lao always refers to him-with affection-as her husband. Clearly she was in awe of him when they met at the hospital, and-surprisingly enough-when he told her to stay in one place, she obeyed him."

"She was probably more worried that he could hunt her down if she tried to run..." Ranma suggested.

"I do not think that is likely to be the case," Beatrice replied, "In her tiger form she is as fast as a small car, and it isn't that many miles from Nerima to the harbor. What if the real reason she obeyed him is because she herself is a submissive?"

"Say WHAT?" Nabiki looked boggle-eyed at the naked silver-haired genius.

"Think about it some more," Beatrice smiled, "Isn't it often said that a Bondage Queen secretly wants to be dominated by someone who is much stronger? Everything that I've heard so far about her would seem to support this...that beneath her veneer of indomitable pride, the Mistress of this ship is looking to find herself a proper Master."

"You mean...me?" Kaneda blanched, "But that's crazy!"

"Why?" Keiko asked, "Didn't you already dominate her once already when you went Neko a while ago?"

"What?" Ranma-chan blinked, glancing at Nabiki, "What did THAT happen?"

"Uh..." Kaneda said dubiously, clearly hesitating to give an answer.

"So you see...deep down Lao is hoping to make you dominate her in earnest, by urging you to revert to your own dominant personality traits," Beatrice noted, "An alternative to this would be to urge Ranma here to consider her as a likely potential conquest. We can use this to our advantage, use it as leverage to work on Lao's perverse nature to perhaps lower her guard and make it possible for you to actually defeat her."

"By...seducing her?" Kaneda's voice quavered by an octave, "Oh mou..."

"Nothing that crude, I assume," Beatrice paused to consider the point, "Though it is an idea worth keeping in reserve should all else fail. The point is...Lao wants the both of you to do better...she will be more than willing to concede you every advantage that you may need in order to get the upper hand with her. She would even consent to train you in methods that would improve your martial arts. Think of how she has mastered her Storm School of Tsunami Martial Arts...and then think of an effective counter, much as she seemed to know how to counter Saotome's Senken maneuvers."

"Yeah, I've been wondering about that," Ranma-chan frowned, "When I used the Fierce Tiger Gate blow, she seemed to have sensed that one coming in advance and blocked the attack before I even had time to execute it."

"She used the 'Surf Collides with Reef' maneuver to counter it," Keiko explained, "It was like you hitting a coral rock and having the force of your attack be dispersed against it."

"But what can we use that will make us good enough to fight Lao on a one-to-one basis?" Kaneda frowned, "I don't trust Lao enough to take her on as a teacher...I've got enough of a problem with the Old Woman back home as it is..."

"Maybe she's leaving you clues and hoping you will take the hint and figure that one out for yourself," Beatrice remarked, "I have noticed that-with Madam Lao-  
-things are never as obvious as they might appear to be at first glance. Take those chains, for example...how serious do you think they can hold the pair of you if you sought to free yourself from them?"

Kaneda glanced down at his shackles, "I don't know...they feel pretty tough. I might be able to break them with a good hammer blow or..."

"Force isn't always the answer, Nabchan," Keiko replied, "You've got to learn to think even more tricky than you've been doing for the last three days."

"You mean...?" Ranma-chan glanced down, holding up her wrists for closer examination, and then staring at her manacles with a peculiar fascination before moving one hand to the catch about the other and playing with it for a moment. An audible click later and the manacle fell away, leaving her just as surprised as Kaneda.

"How did you...?" Kaneda gasped.

"I...don't know," Ranma-chan replied, "It just...seemed to make sense all of a sudden," she unsnapped the other manacle and let her cuffs fall to the floor, then bent down and went to work on her ankle chains, removing them with as much ease as the others.

"See what I mean?" Keiko smiled smugly, "Never take anything my lady does at face value."

"You mean...we've been able to free ourselves the whole time?" Kaneda asked in astonishment.

"Of course," Beatrice smiled, "It makes perfect sense. Lao is trying to impress on you the essence of her philosophy...that one cannot be made a slave without their full cooperation!"

"Bingo!" Keiko smiled in triumph as Ranma-chan finished undoing Kaneda's cuffs, then unhitched her own collar. The taller redhead then nodded down at Kaneda and added, "By the way, you'd better do something about that before you go wandering around this ship without a loincloth. The ladies here are usually polite about it, but with your natural charisma and that piece of man-meat hanging on the outside, it'd be like waving a red tablecloth at a herd of horny cattle."

"Er..." Kaneda glanced at his semi-erect member and said, "Good point..."

"In the meantime," Beatrice said drolly, "If you two are done in here, perhaps we might continue this conversation back in the seraglio. I left Alison in a bit of a state, and I want to get back to her before things progress too far without me."

"Progress?" Ranma-chan asked, "Something happen to A-chan?"

"Something is right," Keiko replied, "She started having labor pangs a few minutes before we came to look for your guys. The midwives say that it'll be a while before we know for certain but..."

"Alison is going into labor," Beatrice explained, "The captain has offered to assist in the delivery, but...well...you can understand my urgent desire to return to Aiko-chan's side at once?"

"Of course," Kaneda nodded, "Lead the way, Kei-chan."

"I just love it when you start giving the orders, Boss lady," Keiko smirked as she turned around, leaving Kaneda to study her lovely backside with a MOST dubious expression...

Continued.

Comments/Criticisms/Semi-Coherent Rationalizations: shadowmane

Strange and bizarre things are in the offing for Nabiki and her crew as Lao helps deliver yet another baby, and Ranma makes a new friend, but what about that floating island that's just off the port bow? Could it be that even Lao is unprepared for an unscheduled stop along the way to Hentai Heaven? Be here next time for: "Not Now, my Concubine," or "Nihao my Hentai!" Be there!

X

If you wish to check out my other works, Please check out my Fanfiction webpage at: . All related chapters of this series can be found there along with my other works.  
/pre 


	17. Chapter 17

preDNabikiTHCh17

Nabiki 1/2

"A Very Scary Thought!"

THE HONEYMOON HENTAI CHAPTERS

by Jim Robert Bader

(Inspired by the works of Rumiko Takahashi Others)

Part Seventeen.

HENTAI ALERT-LEMON-LIME FICTION AHEAD!  
CONTAINS GRAPHIC SCENES OF AN EXTREMELY NAUGHTY NATURE, AND IF YOU'RE UNDERAGED,  
DON'T TELL ANYBODY YOU READ THIS! USE ONLY AS DIRECTED UNLESS IN VIOLATION OF LOCAL ZONING ORDINANCES. POST NO BILLS, DO NOT PASS GO,  
DO NOT COLLECT 200,000 YEN, MAY YOU BE CURSED WITH A WEDGIE IF YOU VIOLATE THIS TRUST, AND HAVE A NICE DAY-YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED!

It was hard to think straight after several days of being treated like a proverbial piece of meat, occasionally taken down and subjected to bondage games of dominance and submission, forced to lick bush for her daily meal while having her own bush be licked, probed and fondled on a routine basis, to say nothing of what the rest of her was subjected to, including her breasts and every inch of skin that could possibly be played with! On top of this were those water elemental ladies who came flowing over her body every so often, cleaning her inside and out so that she felt as scrubbed and clean as a newborn baby, and generally subjected to every form of humiliation that the human mind could imagine.

Other than this, Nila Caulder felt just peachy.

The dark haired, dusky-skinned beauty was getting bored just daring at the ceiling in her rope-bound state. This was not as much fun anymore, nor did she feel like paying her compliments to the management in terms of her present living accommodations. The place leaked something awful, there was a peculiar smell that filled her nostrils at every waking moment, and she was horny as hell, feeling just about excited enough that thinking of a doorknob was enough to make her lubricate. What were these people thinking treating her and these other girls like they were mere playthings for their amusement? Nila enjoyed a bit of sex as much as the next mature and reasonably well-adjusted college-aged coed, but this wasn't like getting drunk and going down on her best friend, or letting her boyfriend play with her tits to get him in the mood for a bit of fun. These women were treating her as though she were a toy, not an actual person. It was enough to make her want to write her congressman, even if an ocean voyage did tend to put one beyond the normal US diplomatic jurisdiction!

Okay, so her captors were having a bit of fun with her. Nila could take a joke, Ha-Ha, but this was starting to look like a bad bondage romance novel come to life, and Nila was the sort who didn't like to be this passive about anything. She was very much an action-sort of person...had inherited that trait from her parents, along with certain...hidden talents. Being no stranger to the bizarre and the unusual, she had long ago figured out that these people were regarding her as some sort of sex-slave in training, and under different circumstances she might even be flattered that they considered her to be worth all the effort, but this was more than slightly embarrassing to one of her professional standing. She was on a case when she had let herself get jumped and ambushed by the water ladies. She had reacted instinctively by employing her mutant power, but in the end it had done little good and she was overwhelmed by them and hauled off in good order.

Awakening to find herself stripped naked and disarmed she had expected the worst, nor was she all that disappointed. It was one of the more annoying things about her line of work, the risk of capture and what bad guys often liked to do when they had a cute piece of ass like her at their mercy. A real bother, in fact, being so pretty that people tended to overlook her other qualities and just concentrated on screwing with her body. After a while you got used to things like that as just being a part of the game, not something to welcome but more to be expected. Heck, she might have even been insulted if her current captors (from what she could so far determine they were a ruthless all-girl gang of lesbian slavers) had not considered her worth a casual pick-up. After all, she was being paid a lot of money to investigate the disappearance of a runaway whose wealthy parents were willing to pay a lot for her return, and-from the looks of things-Nila had definitely stumbled onto paydirt.

Rumors had suggested that the harbor port of Taiwan was a frequent haven for flesh peddlers and White Slavers, so following her hunch she had hung out in that seedy bar playing a local girl looking for a good time and some cheap thrills. When she had been approached by that sultry Asian beauty she had met, who had made no secret of having an interest in Nila's companionship, it had seemingly confirmed the validity of her assumptions. All it took were a few exchanges implying that Nila was a bored prostitute looking for a way out of her dead-end life, and her new acquaintance had responded with a lilting promise of offering her a more positive change of outlook, disguising the offer coyly as an intended seduction.

Nila had played along and allowed herself to be led away into what was supposed to be a private assignation, only it had turned out even better-or worse-  
than she had dared to hope would be the case. Her Uncle Cliff might have chewed her out for her carelessness in allowing herself to get taken like a rank amateur, but at least she was where she had to be if she were to expose this major operation. Now all she had to do was to get free from her current dilemma and find out more about this ship and its weird crew of rug-munching Diesel Dykes. Feminazi slave cults were all fine and dandy for pulp magazines and the comics, but if they had something to do with the missing daughter of her clients, then they'd just have to suffer the consequences of coming between Nila and the earning of a pay chit.

Too bad a plan for escape was eluding her at the moment. If only these guys weren't such thorough professionals, having found all of her hidden tools and weapons, not to mention tying her in such a way that she could not bring her powers into play, nor even wiggle so much as a finger. It was monotonous just hanging there waiting for something interesting to happen. At least things had gotten faintly amusing when that one girl somehow went berserk and tore herself free from her ropes a while back-was it a day already? So hard to tell without the sun for a reference...well, anyway, at least it had been something novel to break the pattern. Now if only she knew how to bust free from her own ropes like that other girl, she...

All at once Nila thought she heard something, and she felt a tremble pass through her body as one of the ropes did fray on its own, and-without further warning-gave loose, causing Nila to swing free of it unexpectedly, supported above the floor by the other three ropes currently wound about her body. For a moment she just dangled there in surprise, wondering how the rope had burst like that for no particular reason. Then she made a surprising discovery...the rope wound about her right hand was loose, and by a little judicious effort she was able to work it free from entanglement, then flexed in front of her own eyes, feeling the sensations start to flood back into her fingers.

Nila smiled, seeing opportunity at last come knocking. The one problem with her Ice Power was that it would not work without her hands helping to conduct it as a focus. She couldn't just project a wave of cold with her eyes, like her mother, but had to give it a direction by pointing her fingers and allowing the wave of cold to flow out of her body at whatever point to which she projected. By this means she was able to freeze the other rope to super-cold temperatures, so cold, in fact, that they shattered under her own weight without further preamble.

Nila fell to the floor like a limp piece of hamburger on her Uncle Larry's grill, but after a few moments was able to pry herself back up to a sitting position and remove the ropes that were still tied about her wrists, body and ankles. Thus freed she slowly stood to her feet and flexed her body to restore full circulation. She limbered herself and kinked herself loose, then glanced up to see the other ten girls looking down at her from where they hung in various other positions. Nila considered liberating them, then decided against this, reasoning that they would only get in her way and were in no immediate danger remaining where they were for a couple more hours. If she were to be of any help to them she would have to escape and bring back help when she was able.

Her course of action decided, now she just had to choose a direction of escape and follow her instincts. She started to turn around when one of those water-  
women started flowing up from the floor to challenge her, another two of them falling and forming into human shape from the ceiling.

"Hold it right there!" the lead of these three said in a quavering, surreal kind of voice, "You're not going any-WHA...?"

That was as far as they got before Nila reached out with a hand and concentrated, freezing them where they were into living ice statues.

"Don't bother showing me the way out," Nila smiled, "I tend to make my own exits."

She dashed down the corridor to her left, figuring that one route was as good as another, and hoping to snag something to wear along the way. As much as she could dig the "Naked is Beautiful" bit, she was grateful that whoever owned this place kept it warm enough with just enough humidity to make the lack of wardrobe at least (ahem) bare-able. But dignity required that she at least try and get something on that would diminish the running peep-show that she was giving these people. As proud as she was of having such an excellent figure, she really would have preferred leaving a little something left to the imagination.

Racing down the next corridor and the next, she managed to elude any pursuit that might have followed after her, all the while wondering just how big a place this ship was supposed to be...from the length of the rooms that she passed on a dead run it had the feeling of a supertanker, but that hardly made sense as everything appeared to be made of wood and nothing so far appeared to have been manufactured in this century, or even the last. How could anything so big hold itself together?

And then she saw a set of double-doors that looked promising enough and pivoted in mid-run to shoulder her way past them. That was when she came to an abrupt halt, finding herself not at an exit but in a rather sizeable room, and as she skidded to a complete stop she looked around in amazement on a set right out of a Sheherezade movie, albeit the motif was more Chinese than Arabian, and there were no burly guys in tight loincloths holding swords the size of Buicks in either hand. In fact what she found were semi-nude or completely nude women lounging about doing various things that seemed rather ordinary, right out of a college dormitory.

"Uh..." she said, feeling very lame and awkward at the moment.

"Oh," one of the girls looked up, "If you're looking for the Mistress, she's over there delivering a baby," and she pointed further into the silk-partitioned chamber.

"She's what?" Nila asked, about to back out and retrace her steps when she heard the sound of running feet and turned to see women-human women this time-and holding weapons ranging from swords, spears and more modern firearms in a manner that suggested that they were in no mood to talk, let along give her the proper directions out of this place.

Seeing nothing else to be done for it, she turned and charged ahead the way the other woman had pointed, only to come to an abrupt halt once again and stare at what seemed to be a concentration of people gathered around some sort of fancy Jacuzzi in which other people were presently residing. As she perked up her ears and listened she heard the sounds of activity going on, which were more-or-  
less self-explanatory...

"Easy now...push hard...that's it...don't hold back..." said a woman with pale blue-green hair floating in the water.

"I'M TRYING!" cried a redhead who was also in the pool, obviously in a great deal of distress and struggling against unseen hands that were holding her down in the waters.

"She's trying too hard!" said a woman whose body was composed entirely of water, struggling to maintain her position at one side of the redheaded woman.

"We can barely hold her down!" another blue woman declared, "She has the blood of the gods within her...she's too strong by more than a half!"

"I know the pain is terrible, Aiko-chan," said a silver-haired girl, hovering by the side of the pool and looking quite anxious, "But you must hold out until the baby is in position...please don't quit now, Aiko-chan...you're almost there..."

"I could use a little HELP FROM YOU, y'know, BEIKO?" the redhead snarled, "This is your fault that I'm in this way, you know!"

"I know," the silver-haired girl said, bowing her head, "Because I overstepped my bounds and wanted too much from you...but you must believe me, Aiko-chan, I wouldn't be here now if I didn't believe in you and what we are doing."

"Easy for you to say-AAAAAHHH!" the redhead cried out and thrashed violently within the water, causing the watery women to buck and thrash with her as though holding on for dear life.

"Easy, Aiko-chan," said a brown haired woman in the water beside the blue haired woman, "You're doing great, little sister, just push and breathe deeply...you're no worse off than I was when I had little Joan-chan."

"If that's so," said a six foot tall chained woman with green hair being held on a leash by another tall girl with strawberry blonde hair, "Then I think I owe you an apology, Mom...well...sort of..."

"Almost there," said the pale blue-haired woman, "Yes...I can feel the baby is now ready...now...just relax and I'll take over..."

All at once the redhead sighed and visibly relaxed, but not so the water-girls, who both seemed to be suffering from a sudden spasm of weakness and collapsed back into the water, dissolving into their constituent elements as the waters went surprisingly still, followed moments later when the blue haired woman lifted up a tiny form and smiled in obvious triumph, turning to the redhead and saying, "Congratulations...you have a healthy daughter."

All at once the silver-haired woman sagged her shoulders and almost fell into the pool but for the hasty way that the pig-tailed redhead beside her arrested her movements. The redhead in the pool gave a weak smile of incredulous relief and accepted her baby into her arms with gratitude and longing.

"Well then," said the blue haired woman in the pool as she moved back and allowed the silver-haired girl to replace her, "My work here appears to be happily concluded. I'll have a certificate drafted to authenticate the birthing so you can be registered as her legal guardians and parents."

"Thank you," said the silver haired girl, "We are forever in your debt, Captain."

"Not at all," said the woman designated as the captain replied, "It was my pleasure and an honor. Since you went to the trouble of coming out here, the least I can do is to make it worth your while, just as I did for my cousin and her Airen."

"Just the same, you have my thanks," said the brown haired woman beside her, "That was an incredible delivery...you just seemed to ease the baby right out of her womb..."

"Just a process of manipulating the water molecules in her body," the captain replied, "Your sister has an incredible ability to absorb elemental energies to fortify and give strength to her body, but once the baby was in position to exit the womb, I merely had to move her muscles in the correct manner and nature did the rest. Quite simple, really, if you know how to bond with the element of water."

"Mistress," said one of the water women, who reformed herself beside the captain, "We tried to hold on, but she was leeching energies from our bodies as fast as we could replace them..."

"It's quite all right, Nimue," the captain replied, "You did your part quite well. You and Lamia can have the rest of the day off to recover yourselves. I'll see you again after you are rested...but in the meantime...we have another guest who needs my attention.'

"Eh?" said Nila, who saw the captain look directly at her.

"Who is that?" one of the woman gathered around the Jacuzzi asked.

"Never seen her...oh wait! Isn't she one of the newbies?"

"I think you're right," another said, "I think I was rimming her just yesterday..."

"Time to leave," Nila said to herself as she started to turn around, only to hear the sound of semi-automatic rifles being cocked and readied directly behind her back, "Uh oh..."

"Going somewhere?" purred a mean-sounding woman holding one of said weapons being trained on her

"At ease, Sergeant," the captain said as she exited the Jacuzzi, "Ms. Caulder here is my guest. You may return to your posts...you know that I detest having weapons around my ladies."

"As you wish it, my lady," the mean-sounding woman said deferentially, and Nila risked turning around to see a tough-looking 'marine' in full combat gear sporting an eyepatch, flanked by a number of similarly hard-looking women with other varieties of weapons in evidence, who similarly stood at ease as the lady sergeant called out, "Stand down, girls...this one's for the Captain to sort out."

Without pausing to glance back over their shoulders the solder-girls turned to make their exit, leaving a confused Nila standing where she was being confronted by the pale-blue-haired captain and a score of naked women who were all eyeing her as though she were a sideshow freak exhibit.

"What's this all about?" said a nearly naked man wearing a loincloth, one of the only two guys presently in evidence in the middle of this henhouse, "Who is that?"

"That," said the captain with a faint smile, "Is someone I have been meaning to invite into our midst for quite a few days now. Silly me, overlooking a thing like that, though I trust that my women were not too rough with you in giving you the hospitality of our abode?"

"What?" Nila asked, "You mean all the fucking and bondage stuff? What about it?"

"What indeed," the captain mused, "I am Lao Kahn...the Captain of this vessel and your present host, Nila Caulder..."

"How do you know my name?" Nila frowned.

"I know a great deal about you," the captain inclined her head with a sardonic expression, "I have had my eye on you for quite some time, ever since my people alerted me to the particulars of your rather unique case. I had meant to bring you here under more...formal circumstances, but it seems that you freed yourself without my help...curious that, a rope giving way like that for no particular reason..."

"Just what the heck is going on here?" Nila demanded, "Is this some kind of weird nudist cult or something?"

"Ah, well," the captain glanced over her shoulder with a rueful expression," I suppose that depends on whom you ask."

For some reason the tall boy was scowling when the captain said this, and there was a very cross expression on the face of one of the redheaded girls present, as if they were taking some issue with the powder blue-haired lady. Other expressions ranged from dubious to sympathetic to the captain's position, indicating to Nila that there was some sort of dispute raging on two sides of a very touchy issue, though the majority position clearly weighted in with the captain.

"Um...look," Nila tried again with a bit more tact than was her usual wont, "I don't know what's going down here, but if it's all the same to you..."

"Of course you don't know," the captain smiled, "And that was the point of my wanting to invite you here in the first place, to help gain a fresh perspective. I would like to use you as an example of something I have been trying to convey all along now, and your outlook would be much valued at this critical juncture."

"..." Nila began, then after her second attempt managed to say, "Run that by me again? And how come we're all speaking Japanese all of a sudden?"

"Don't look at me," said the strawberry blonde haired girl, the one holding the leash on the green haired girl beside her, "I barely passed English Lit, and I usually just read the subtitles."

"Come this way," the captain urged, "Let us convene a meeting in the main room, where all may find comfortable seating while we discuss this issue in greater detail. You need have no fear, Ms. Caulder, no one is going to chain you up anymore...in fact, you will, in due time, be released to your own recognizance, a bit wealthier and much the wiser for your quest, if you but have patience with me for another few moments."

Nila watched the tall woman striding past her with a lilting hint of her smile that at much as said that she found Nila very attractive. Normally Nila would be flattered by the attention, but under the circumstances...she wondered why she had the impression of a great predator stalking past her, sizing her up as though she were prime choice on the menu. It was such an...ominous thing that she found it hard to relax, even when one of the semi-nude girls took her by the arm and urged her gently to come along with her, a raven haired beauty who smiled often at Nila and seemed to suggest that she was the sexiest person in the room (doubtful given the fact that everyone here was nothing less than drop-  
dead gorgeous, and the boys were both hunks, but it was nice to complimented).

In due order they all sat down, the Captain assuming a divan formed out of pillows that made her look like the grand Sultana of this seraglio, and once a chained and (otherwise) naked servant-girl poured her a goblet full of wine, she called everything to order with a friendly, casual air that was not at all predatory, and even seemed to suggest that she considered everyone here to be a co-equal (the phrase "some are more equal than others" did come to mind as Nila thought that over).

"Well...now that our number has been successfully increased by one more new life," Captain Lao began, "It is time that we resolve a matter that has been something of a sore point here separating us from our esteemed guests...that matter being the issue of how women are treated here, especially the new arrivals. Nila Caulder here is one of those new inductees who was scouted out by one of my concubines, who went into a waterfront establishment with the sole intended purpose of finding someone like her...or rather, the person she supposed her to be, and recruited her through the usual methods..."

"You mean you Shanghaied her," the tall brown haired, pig-tailed boy frowned sourly.

"Precisely," the captain tipped her goblet in his direction, "But-upon subsequent examination-it was discovered by my Undine servants that Ms. Caulder is not quite what she appeared to be...or rather not what she presented herself as being. Rather than being a woman at loose ends turning tricks for anyone who would pay her wages, it turns out that she is a detective gone undercover...and not just any detective, one with ties to Caulder industries...in point of fact, the Chairman's daughter."

"Caulder industries?" said the brown haired woman beside her, who was in the process of putting gold chains onto her own wrists and ankles, "I know about them...Niles Caulder is a prominent industrialist who was rumored to be dead a while back, only to turn up a few years later not only alive and well but with a wife he met in Calcutta. This is his daughter?"

"Indeed," Lao replied, "But more than just the daughter of Niles Caulder...she has inherited some of her mother's own natural talents with...special modifications. She is a latent Meta-human...what some would term a Mutant, gifted with the ability of controlling temperature, and who goes by the code-  
name of Fahrenheit, daughter of Celsius..."

"What?" Nila reacted, "How could you possibly know about...?"

"Your ties to the Doom Patrol?" the captain gave a faint glimmer of appreciation in her nod, "I know many things...you would be surprised at the extent of my knowledge."

"All right," said another brown haired girl who had not spoken before, one who had distinctly Asian features, "So you kidnapped an American superhero by mistake...seems par for the course for you, Sugar, so...what are you gonna do about it?"

"It's simple," Lao replied, "I can't undo what has been done, but no real harm has been rendered, so I must reluctantly release Ms. Caulder from any and all contractual obligations in this matter. She is my guest, so long as she behaves herself and does not interfere in ship matters. Besides, with her powers she could prove to be a real nuisance...already some of my Undine servants are being thawed out as we speak. I should hardly wish her to turn this entire ship into a floating iceberg, which she is fully capable of doing if she goes all out and exerts her full power."

"Ah..." Nila decided not to bring up the fact that such an overuse of her powers might prove to be too much of a strain for her to handle. It would hardly fit in with her "tough girl" image to suggest that she had limits, and if the captain was wary of her powers, so much the better as it gave her something with which to negotiate. She decided to play along for now, but curiosity made her ask, "This...outfit of yours...what exactly is it you do for a living?"

"I am a Pirate," Lao said matter-of-factly, "I kidnap young women and turn them into sex-slaves, then sell them at exorbitant prices, all but the best, which I keep for myself here. Isn't that what you were suspecting all along, Detective?"

"A...okay," Nila frowned, "So you kidnapped me and were gonna turn me into one of your pampered women?"

"That was my original intent," Lao admitted, "But though you do have some rather interesting...personality traits...I have discovered that you are not suited to a life of servitude and bondage. You have a very strong personality grounded on your independence...what I term an Invulnerable Persona, one that does not bend nor break no matter what duress is applied upon you. Besides which you have strong ties to the outside that would not be to my advantage to antagonize by keeping you with me..."

"If you mean my old man," Nila winced, "You've got nothing to worry about there...he might even pay you to keep me."

"I am well aware of the fact that you and your father have...issues that separate you," Lao replied, "But the simple truth is that it is not worth my while to keep someone who is not suitable for training as either a submissive nor as a dominant. It is not...cost-effective by the terms of my profession. Since letting you go is infinitely preferable to anything else that I might do with you in my custody, I have no choice but to return you to that rather interesting life that you are currently leading. Besides, it amuses me to think that you came all this way looking for someone like me at the behest of another who is paying your wages..."

"Ah...about that," Nila said, "You being a pirate/White-slaver and all that...you wouldn't happen to have kidnapped a girl who stands around five-two, medium brown hair, reddish-brown eyes and goes by the name of Asagiri?"

"Sadly no," Lao answered, "Though I have encountered many women who fit your description, the one you seek has never been in my custody, though perhaps she did fall prey to one of my rivals. Ah yes...I know her story quite well...a wealthy heiress, spoiled and privileged, yet under-appreciated by her wealthy parent, hungry for love and desperate to escape her lonely life. She takes up with the first gallant adventurer she meets, one who makes her feel special and appreciated and might even actually care for her, a bit, only to have the both of them vanish into the night-Et cetera, Et cetera, etc..."

"You've...seen this kind of thing often, I take it?" Nila asked dubiously.

In reply, Lao raised her gaze and asked, "Who here thinks that I was just telling her life story?"

Several women present held up their hands, including both of the brown haired women who had spoken before, all giving Nila looks that as much as said, "Been there, done that, wrote the novel..."

"Mind you," Lao resumed, "I am sympathetic to your position in attempting to resolve this matter. I could even give you suggestions on where to look...I-  
quite naturally-know the addresses of other slavers who do business in the sex trade. Since your business obviously is not with me, I'd be more than willing to render what assistance I may as compensation for all the trouble that my people and I have caused you so far. In fact, you may partake of the hospitality of my home and consider it yours for the duration. I'm sure that Xiong Fu and my other girls will be eager to render you any assistance that you may need, and do feel free to snoop around my ship if it will satisfy your curiosity and suspicions about me, since I obviously cannot take it for granted that you will accept my word as final on the matter."

Nila became all the more conscious of the luminous-eyed girl sitting beside her, leaning forward with a suggestive leer while offering a succulent morsel on a toothpick that had been plucked from a canapés tray. Obviously the "hospitality" here had considerable perks that beat out the cheap motels she often frequented during her assignments all to heck. She wondered if she were being bribed to keep her silence, then decided that it probably didn't matter since Captain Lao clearly wanted to keep things social between them, which was fine and dandy from Nila's admittedly awkward position.

"Okay," Nila said, "Where exactly do you suggest I should look?"

"My guess would be that the quarry you seek is no longer in Taiwan but may have returned to the Japanese Main Islands," Lao replied, "That is assuming he did not just discard his girlfriend randomly or grow tired of her and left her behind. Since he was a prominent, well-to-do scientist, and hardly seems the sort to risk the wrath of an employer in such a callous and off-handed manner..."

"How can you possibly know all of this?" Nila frowned, "My sources said that they had gone to that wharf dive and met up with a smuggler, but I'd heard hints that they were probably both kidnapped, but there's no way you could know any of that by just doing simple research...I didn't even file a report with my boss yet, let alone put any of this in writing..."

"Simple, actually," Lao replied, "I'm psychic."

Comprehension dawned on Nila and she said, "You been in my mind? You read my thoughts? You invaded the privacy of my memories?"

"Yes," Lao replied, "It's standard procedure around here. Why, are you offended?"

"No," Nila shrugged, "I was just going to give you my condolences. There's a lot of stuff in my head that even I don't like to think about..."

"So I've noted," it was Lao's turn to wince and look uncomfortable for a moment, but then she shrugged the point aside and said, "Well...anyway...as to the point why you are here now...we have something of a raging debate that I should like to settle once and for all, with your further indulgence."

"Uh...okay," Nila winced, "But if it's about politics or religion..."

"Nothing so droll as all that," Lao assured her, "It pertains to the nature of my business...Pleasure Slavery. There are a few here who think that my work involves far more slavery than pleasure, despite my repeated assurances that I do observe some limits."

"Well...what's there to discuss?" Nila asked as tactfully as she could manage, "You are a major-league criminal type, right?"

"Oh, undoubtedly," Lao conceded, "I take innocent young girls and mold them into exquisite sex objects. I'm sure that there must be some people in the world who would have a bit of a problem about that."

"Involuntary induction is still rape in my book," the brown-haired Bo-hunk said flatly, "And that's not even taking into account your mind games, brainwashing of prisoners, mental and physical cruelty and the abuse you hurl about just because you think you can get away with it."

Lao heaved a very great sigh, one that made her large breasts heave in a most interesting manner, "I am guilty of some of what you say, but I would dispute the notion that I am cruel and heartless. It is the subject of brainwashing that is at issue here, is it not? Well...for the record, Nila Caulder here is immune to any such mental influence. She has a remarkably resilient personality, but I could not force her to think or act in any way that is contrary to her nature if I used the full resources of the Kraken. She is far from a slave and definitely not a submissive, so I wish to employ her here as a semi-impartial witness to give evidence to my claim that I do not practice the most cruel and destructive forms of mental duress, which you keep insisting is in place for the rest of my women."

"Cousin," a girl with purple hair spoke up, "Is no fault of Airen that he think you make womens here say and do you bidding. Is no like can deny that you make womens obey you and no care if they say they want you as their leader."

"All right," Lao replied, "I'll concede the point that I do use what means are at my disposal to influence a girl into cooperating with my program. I use standard induction methods pioneered by the great French Marquis himself, refined by centuries of Chinese discipline to teach my women how to obey me and enjoy it. The fact is that I do this with their full knowledge and participation...I only blank out memories that could cause them permanent trauma. I never use excessive force and I never break a girl's resolve when it is made clear to me that she is not suitable for training, like Ms. Caulder here. If anything I try and make the process as enjoyable and fun as is possible, using the means at my disposal..."

"FUN?" the brown haired boy declared, "You raped me...!"

"...And made you enjoy it," Lao replied, "Tell me this, Tendo-san...which is the worse crime in your opinion...that I forced myself on you, or that you enjoyed it?"

Nila blinked her eyes at this, then became aware of a hand that was resting on a part of her anatomy that normally was strictly off-limits to others. She turned to glance at the girl...Xiong was it? And saw her smile back in a perfectly frank declaration of her intentions.

The boy remained silent, though his glare spoke volumes. At her side the redhead with the pigtail frowned and declared, "Isn't it enough that you made her do stuff that Nabiki never meant to have happen? What's the big idea chaining us up and sticking us together like this, just 'cause you knew we'd be unable to do anything but play along with your stuff..."

"Why, Saotome-san," Lao smiled, "Do you mean to say that you permitted your...husband...to have sex with you while you are like that? Oh my...how distressing...your mother back home would hardly call that manly behavior."

The redhead glowered at this and was about to speak up when the other brown haired girl at his side said, "You made love with Nabiki as a girl, Ranma-kun?"

"Sugar," said the other brown haired girl with a shake of her head, "You are one for the books..."

"Hey!" the redhead protested, "It wasn't like...ah...well...it kind of was...but..."

"All right then," Lao sighed, "I am at fault. I inflicted a situation upon you that neither one of you had asked for and arranged things so that your inner natures would take their natural course...exactly as I did for you and your Airen, Cousin. It was morally wrong and quite criminal on my part, I was callous to your feelings in the matter and should have sought your consent in advance. Would it help if I said that I was sorry?"

"Not likely," the brown haired boy glowered back.

"Well, there you go," Lao shrugged, "If you can't accept the fact that I am a villain, by your lights, then why act so surprised when I do things that you consider to be of a villainous nature? I'm not running a welfare agency here...this is not a charitable institution. I am a Slaver...that is what I do for a living. The only point which I contend is the notion that I am breaking people into a mold for which nature never intended them...committing mental rape, as it were, and brutally forcing them to act in a manner that is completely contrary to their own best interests. That's why I've called these other examples here, to give you a chance to see my screening process in full operation."

"My lady?" asked another pigtailed redhead (who-oddly enough-looked like the older twin sister to the first), only to turn with a surprised look as a number of other chained and helpless women were herded into their midst, many looking confused and bewildered as they were guided along by the blue-skinned water-  
women.

Nila was sufficiently distracted from what her dark-haired companion was doing to take notice of these new arrivals, and then to belatedly react with a start as she recognized them as the other girls who had been hanging with her from the rafters...and quite a few more who seemed to be in similar such condition. There were eighteen of them in all (nineteen if she counted herself), every one of them a stunning beauty in her own right, and not a few looking a little bit frightened, though a few others seemed intrigued as they studied the chamber and the people contained within it.

Lao sat upright and said, "Greetings...I am your hostess, Captain Lao Kahn. You are my guests, so...feel free to stand at ease."

The boy sat more upright and said, "What's the meaning of this, Lao? Who are these people?"

"These," Lao replied, "Are the women my people recruited while we were docked in Taipei. The new arrivals, if you will, of whom Nila was herself recently a member. They are my present cargo...the new ones who have just begun the orientation process. I called them here so you could examine each one of them for yourselves and decide whether or not my people chose wisely when they were selected. I haven't had the time to personally review their cases until now, but this looks like a splendid time in which to screen them for their...qualifications."

The brown haired woman in gold chains took an interest at this and said, "These are the sorts of women you normally go after?"

"Precisely," Lao replied, "A good cross-section of likely candidates who have the potential within them of being courtesans and ladies of refinement. Feel free to ask any questions you like and decide for yourselves whether it is worth my time to continue with them in the program. They are still relatively raw and are quite free from any mental influences that might taint their personalities, their memories or the choices that they might make of their own free volition."

"Oh yeah, right," the brown haired boy-Nabiki was it?-snorted derisively, "Like I'll believe that! You've had them in your custody for at least three days, Lao...that's more than enough time for you to mentally screw them over..."

"No it is not," Lao said quite firmly, "The creation of a false personality, with memories that supplant the actual person, is a far more complex operation than you surmise, Tendo-san. A total submergence of the will into a false ideal state takes time and patience to craft and often leave deep emotional scars that can be detected easily on cross-examination. I never bother to employ such distasteful methods...they scar a woman and destroy her individual personality traits...those elements that make her a unique and distinctive individual, much like the cruel methods employed by the 108 Dragons. You do remember Lady Akiko-  
chan and what that renegade did to her mind, don't you?"

"Yeah," Nabiki-kun said grudgingly, "He turned her into a ticking time-bomb...a wind-up assassin..."

"A robot...programmed to act in a certain way when given the right set of commands," Lao said without smiling and in bitter tones that denoted strong disapproval, "The 108 Dragons employ a combination of pressure-point acupuncture and other coercive techniques that forces their victims to behave in a way that is carefully and precisely measured to insure obedience and an inflexible loyalty to the 108 Dragons. Their current leader-Crying Freeman-was such a victim for a time before freeing himself of his involuntary status. Believe me...they did things to him that I do not even like to speculate about, but it was Freeman who undid the blocks on lady Akiko's mind and freed her so that I could undo much of their damage. Ask Keiko-chan and Kodachi-chan if you would like to know the details, they were witnesses to the entire process."

"It's true," the redhead sitting next to the sultry pony-tailed brunette replied, "We saw how they did it, Nabchan. It...wasn't pretty..."

"Compared to the methods of the 108 Dragons," Kodachi shivered, "Mistress Lao's techniques are a genuine blessing."

"Well, enough about the past," Lao mused, stepping forward, "Let us meet your new guests and get to know them individually...starting with the cute one on the far right. What is your name, please?"

"Me?" shivered a girl whose hair was a darker shade of purple than Shampoo's own color, "Um...well...my name is Lilly Chiang, and... I don't understand...are we...?"

"Let's just stay on one subject at a time for the moment, shall we?" Lao asked, "Now...tell us a little bit about yourself and how you think you arrived here...and don't be shy, we're all friends here..." she pointedly ignored Nabiki's snort of derision.

"Well..." the girl replied, "I remembered my uncle saying that I should go down to the coast for a few days to...to forget about...something...that he said I shouldn't remember..."

"You don't need to tip-toe around the subject here," Lao said gently, "Your husband beat and raped you...and your father found out about it. You were in an abusive situation...and your uncle is the sort of man who doesn't take insults within the family very well, is he?"

"How did you know...?" Lilly gasped.

"Because your uncle is the head of the Chiang conglomerate," Lao said directly, "A very respectable public front for one of the most powerful Tong outfits along the Sea of China and Japan. He's also a...business associate of mine, a ruthless individual with a very strong sense of integrity and honor, but no boyscout by any measure, and he...asked me to look out for you. In point of fact, when he heard that I was in port, he specifically contacted me and asked that I give you a way out of your present legal dilemma."

"Of my..." the girl blinked, "You...know my Uncle?"

"To be more exact," Lao said, "He is paying me to give you an...education. Certainly a better sort of life than you would have had if you had remained in Taiwan and faced a possible murder charge for the death of your husband, no?"

"You..." the girl took a half-step back that was arrested by her ankle chains and trembled.

"There now," Lao made a placating motion, "You won't be harmed...at least, no more than will be necessary. It was self-defense, at least as far as I'm concerned, though the law is little less than exact on the subject. Unfortunately your...late husband...was a prominent member of the Muslim community with diplomatic ties to the country that his family hails from, so it was not too likely the law there would have looked kindly upon you, especially with your ties to a major Tong family. There are limits to how much influence even your Uncle's money can buy, but with you safely out of harm's way he can placate the authorities and wait for things to die down before buying you back from me with...certain requested modifications."

The brown haired woman in gold chains standing next to the captain looked at her and said, "Her Uncle is paying you to do this?"

"What can I say?" Lao smiled, "He loves his family...and it is that kind of a world. Now...you..." she turned her attention to the second girl in the lineup, a willowy brunette with almond-shaped eyes and an almost haunted expression, "Your name please?"

"My name?" the girl only hesitated for a few seconds, "I'm Hu Bang Yu...and I'm nobody..."

"Not really," Lao remarked, "You used to be a film star with the Taiwanese cinema. I've seen a few of your movies...very nice moves. You studied Wu Shu martial arts?"

"I was...a stunt double...and then I briefly became an action star," Hu Bang Yu glanced down, "Back when I was pretty..."

"Ah yes," Lao mused, "The studio dropped you after you got cut up by your boyfriend...he slashed your face to mar your beauty, and because you could not afford plastic surgery you could not find any work, and so you drifted into a life of prostitution."

"What about it," the woman asked miserably, not raising her eyes to acknowledge these statements.

"Take a look in the mirror lately?" Lao smiled, "You might be surprised by what you see."

Hu Bang Yu looked surprised at this, then she tentatively placed one manacled hand to her face and felt along the edge of her jawline. Amazement crossed her features as she felt along the side of her cheek and her nose, as if trying to find a familiar sensation on the creamy-surface of her golden-hued features.

"They're gone..." the action-star-turned-prostitute remarked with a look of disbelief in her expression, "But...?"

"Cellular regeneration," Lao replied, "One of many arts at my disposal. Your beauty has been restored, even as your body has been purged of the disease and toxins that were polluting your system. You are now as clean and pure as the driven snow, and no man will ever tarnish your beauty again. I will you teach you how to make men beg for your attention, and you will learn to grow strong from your ordeal, and stronger as a fighter, that I sincerely promise."

She then turned to the next in line and said, "And you are?"

A shy looking girl wearing glasses hesitantly said, "Um...I'm just an animator...I draw stills for a company that produces American-made Anime..."

"The inferior quality stuff," Lao nodded, "And that beside you, I take it, is your employer?"

A haughty looking blonde with an absolutely voluptuous figure sneered, "Do you have any idea who I am? I'm an American citizen, I have rights, I..."

"Georgina Tyler," said Lao with an odd lilt, "Executive Producer in charge of greenlighting projects for children's programming at Nakajima Studios' branch in Korea for the past two years, during which time your assistant, Wan Sing, has had to slave in executing your ideas and suggestions with designs and sketches that have resulted in the insipid shows that children have to watch on American TV every Saturday morning. What have you to say for yourself for the horrors that you've inflicted upon the innocent?"

"What are you talking about?" the blonde blinked her eyes, "Our shows have the American Family rating!"

"I rest my case," Lao said with a very droll expression.

"Nakajima Studios?" the brown haired woman frowned, "I believe that's one of my outlets...uh...that is...I believe I own a controlling share through Morgan Enterprises..."

"Mom," the green haired girl spoke up, "Have you ever actually watched the cartoon shows your studios put out on Saturday mornings?"

"Well...no," Martha admitted, "I do have a lot of other concerns that take up too much of my time to spend watching television..."

"Sounds to me as if the issue of responsibility is shared around on this one," Lao mused, "Which is appropriate, considering how you got to your current position, Georgina."

"I resent that!" Georgina protested, "I got where I am through talent, hard work and effort..."

At her side the shy-looking but cute Asian girl wearing glasses just rolled her eyes while Lao continued to smile in a knowing and insinuating manner, then added in sweet tones, "Sleeping around with every executive who can advance your career is certainly a lot of hard work, and you certainly have the...talent for that. I do believe that we can have a very interesting time talking business over the next few weeks, and I'm sure that I can find a...position...that will make adequate use of your potential. Now...as for you, Wan Sing..."

"Um..." the girl in question asked meekly, "Do I...really have to be here? I mean...what did I ever do to deserve being in a place like this...?"

"Nothing you've done to deserve it, per-se," Lao replied, "But after grinding away under the heel of this woman, I should think you have earned some...quality time together...preferably where you get to indulge in a little much-deserved payback. Are you interested?"

"Interested?" the demure beauty blinked her eyes.

"In whipping this bitch's tail until she's as red as a fire hydrant and twice as ready to gush on your command," Lao replied, "Think about that and we'll get back to you in another moment. Now...as for the next one in line...what's this?"

"Yes?" asked a light haired feminine-looking person, who was next in the lineup.

Nila wondered what it was that had caused the change of tone in the captain's voice and looked up from the rather...interesting things the girl beside her was doing with her body to focus on the party being singled out. Lao herself had moved closer to the lineup in order to confirm her observation, but then she looked sharply at the one who had drawn her attention and said, "You're a boy..."

"So, you finally noticed?" said a particularly Bishonen looking...person...grinned broadly in a seemingly feminine voice, "The name's Shun Kisaragi, and I was with a tour group when your people seemed to mistake me for a girl and..."

"All right," Lao turned across look towards the women who seemed to comprise her personal harem and growled, "Who's the wise guy?"

"Eep!" one concubine winced and paled noticeably, "Um...would you believe I made an honest mistake, Mistress?"

"How many times have I told you people," Lao growled sourly, "When you grab someone who looks like a girl, MAKE SURE THAT THEY REALLY ARE A GIRL BEFORE YOU GRAB THEM! This is so...embarrassing. I don't even know what to say..."

"That's a first," said the brown haired boy in some amusement.

"Gee," said one of the girls beside him, "Think maybe I could introduce the captain to Tsubasa?"

Another brown haired girl gave a short sniff of amusement.

"Does this mean I don't get to be trained and sold as a concubine, Captain Khan?" the...boy...named Shun asked in a surprisingly cheerful tone of voice, "And I was sooo looking forward to getting to know your people better..."

Lao covered her face with a hand and seemed to count to ten before looking beyond the boy to the next woman in the lineup, "And you are...?"

"I'm Passion Spice," said an auburn haired Asian girl with a frankly knowing expression, "And of course I've heard of you, the Pirate lady who closed down Darken Lite's operation and exposed a police commissioner-literally-to public exposure. You kidnap girls and raise them to be high class whores...only I'm kind of low-class for you, aren't I?"

"That all depends, Boa Lung...that's your real name, isn't it?" Lao duly noted, "A whore you may be, but I sense in you the potential to be even better. Are you interested?"

"Are you kidding?" the auburn Asian girl smiled, "I'd be a fool to pass up an offer like that from a first rate Madam like you. My old Pimp can go fuck himself for all I care, the dirty old sow doesn't even appreciate what he has in the girls who surround him..."

"Meaning that he never paid the kind of attention towards you that you felt you deserved, being the best from his stables," Lao noted, "Always a pleasure to meet a new convert. And you...Carol Manders, right?"

"How did you know?" asked a nervous looking sandy blonde girl, towards whom Lao had directed her question.

"We'll get to that later," Lao waved the point aside, "My apologies...it appears my people made another mistake. You closely matched the description of a girl whom they were sent to find. I'm terribly sorry about that...it seems my people were in a bit too much haste when they hit port and got a little careless."

"Ah...well..." the blonde was obviously frightened, but she managed a weak smile and tried to adopt a stance with as much dignity as one could when they had their hands tied behind their back.

"Now then," Lao turned to the next girl in the lineup, a petite redhead, "I don't believe that I got your name properly. I believe that you are...Lina something?"

The redhead just glowed with her crimson eyes and raised her hands and said, "Then I'll be happy to remind you...Dragon-BLUP-BLUP-BLUP!" she was cut off as undine immediately rose up from the floor to surround her body, forming a pillar of water that prevented her from completing her invocation.

"Oh yes," Lao nodded, "That one. Someone is really going to roast over the coals over this one...but never mind that now. And you are...?"

A deranged, maniacal laughter filled the room as the tall (and very filled out) woman standing next to the girl named Lina spoke up in a haughty voice, "I am the beautiful but dangerous Mistress of Mysticism, come to this world with my trusty sidekick here through means of a spell gone awry. Nagha the White Serpent, at your service..."

"Oh yes," Lao's expression grew strained as she murmured to herself, "Who is the fool who forgot to leave this one gagged?"

Several Undines pointedly started looking in different directions.

"As for these!" the one named Nagha held up her manacled wrists and said, "I demand you remove these cuffs of cold iron and release my faithful servant from her watery prison before you really make the both of us angry..." Before she could continue one of the concubines hastily popped a ball into her mouth.

"We'll talk about that a bit later," Lao made a placating motion before adding to one of her servants, "Be sure you leave the chains on both of them for the duration. I don't want any spellcasting from mages on my ship, at least not without my express permission."

"As you wish it, my Lady," the concubine in question responded.

"Now then," Lao said as she surveyed the remaining ten women, "As for the rest of you, we shall each review your individual cases and determine how many that remain are worth considering for release and/or special training. Due to my rather hectic schedule of the past few days I haven't had time to get fully briefed on all of you, but I will do my best to expedite things so that those of you who are to stay can be processed along your normal training regimen, while those who are to leave can be inconvenienced to the most minimal level. Any questions?"

One of the remaining girls timidly held up a hand and said, "Processed?"

Lao just smiled, "Don't worry about a thing, Princess...it will all be handled with the minimum fuss and feathers and can be allotted. Now...does anyone here have a question?" she turned a glance to the left and the right to indicate her nearest companions before setting her gaze upon the brown haired boy, who arched an eyebrow in a sardonic manner.

"You're asking us to help you decide which one of them are to become slaves and which ones will be given back their freedom?"

"I am asking you to give me your counsel on the matter, yes," Lao replied, "But the final decision remains with me. I will decide who is worthy of special training and who is not fit to remain here among us."

"I'll concede that a few of them look like they actually want to be here," the brown haired woman in gold chains to her other side remarked, "But there are others...I really don't think it would be fair having to decide among them. Why not let them go and wait for another day to make another capture?"

"Indeed?" Lao eyed with woman with speculative interest, "And why should I give up on so many promising new subjects?"

"I could make it worth your while," the other woman remarked, "I could buy them off of you as is and pay whatever fee for expenses you think is reasonable, subject to a bit of negotiation."

"Intriguing, my dear Martha," Lao nodded, "I will admit that this lot has a very high percentage of...undesirables...due in no small part to the haste with which they were acquired during our last in-port stop. Often I have to take whatever I can find and sort through them to determine the best, and sometimes I wind up even having to take a loss from my profits as there are those girls who are literally more trouble than they are worth, such as the fiery redhead over yonder."

"Hey!" sputtered the girl who had almost drowned before, one who had remarkably small breasts and seemed a bit underaged for such a sexual setting, in Nila's opinion.

"That's why I'm willing to take them off your hands," Martha replied, "You said that you normally just strand them in whatever port city you can find with a small amount of pocket money as compensation for their troubles, why not make a profit instead by trading with me? I can make it worth your while if you're willing to consider...a little business proposition."

"Indeed?" Lao sounded intrigued at the offer, "Well, I never could say no to any proposition a beautiful girl made to me, but...why don't we discuss the terms in my private office?"

"I'm at your disposal," Martha replied, rattling her chains with a smile that had particular meaning.

"Oh yes indeed," Lao leered back in token acceptance of the offer, "Have our guests entertained and serve them whatever they request that is on the menu. I'll be back in a while to...supervise the final determination of this matter...and Tendo-san? Why don't you and your husband mingle with the new arrivals for a bit? That should help to give you a proper focus on why I conduct my business the way that I do..."

"Ahem," the brown haired, pig-tailed boy frowned darkly, "Do you mind if we change first? I'm not quite feeling like myself at the moment..."

"That's what I was going to say," remarked the redhead beside him.

"Oh, if you must be a bother about that," Lao raised a hand and conjured up two round balls of condensed moisture, properly heated with a movement of her fingers, and then splashed the pair, causing a rather startling transformation!

"That's better," the boy-no...make that a GIRL?-remarked, sputtering only slightly at her newly moistened condition.

"All right!" said the handsome dark-haired boy who now stood in the place of the redhead, flexing his arms and staring at his hands while grinning, "I'm back to myself...awesome!"

"I told you that it was only a temporary curse," Lao replied, "But I trust your experience has given you a new outlook on life, Saotome?"

"Uh...yeah," the boy said sheepishly, "You could say that..."

"Welcome back, Ranchan," one brown haired girl at his side took his arm and smiled grandly.

"Is good to see Ranma as boy self," said the purple haired girl hovering beside the pigtailed girl who had been a man a moment before.

"I don't know," said another brown haired girl, "I thought you looked kind of cute that way, Airen."

"I couldn't agree more," said the somewhat taller redhead, "But it was just too much like staring into a mirror. Don't make a habit out of doing that, okay?"

"Um...sure," the boy named Ranma half-smiled, half-grimaced.

"And you, Tendo-san," Lao addressed herself to the transformed boy-girl, "Consider that you have only four more days in which to make a decision regarding the child that you carry. No matter what opinions you may have about me, you can trust that I do not wish to see either you or the child harmed, so...consider my offer, and I'll get back to you again when you have made your decision."

"Right," the girl scowled slightly, but there were troubling hints of deeper concern written plain in her expression.

"Now then," Lao reached out with a hand and attached a chain to the collar around the brown haired Martha, then led her off on a leash like a stray pet, "Let us discuss personal matters, you and I...I will be most fascinated in hearing the full details of what you have to offer."

"Mom?" the green haired, statuesque woman with a star-shaped tattoo over one eye asked as she watched the captain lead the other woman away, only then she herself yelped a bit as her chain was yanked every-so-lightly by the strawberry blonde girl beside her.

"Well, that's enough diversion for now...come along with me, darling...the rest of your training awaits."

"Uh...can't we talk about this?" the green haired girl asked nervously as she dutifully followed her apparent 'girlfriend' out of the chamber.

That seemed to call an end to the formalities as everyone started to get comfortable and the chained women were urged to sit down on pillows that were provided for their benefit, the group forming a rough circle about the center of the room with couples and groups pairing off for what looked to be the makings of a spontaneous orgy. Nila took note of this as the transformed boy turned to the transformed girl and said, "Well...might as well relax for a bit. I'm up for a bit of chow, how about you guys?"

"Sounds good to me, Ranchan," one of the women clustered around him remarked, "The captain even gave me permission to make some okonomiyaki for everyone, so I'll get started whipping up a batch right away, my treat."

"Is good to relax now that Airen back to normal self," said the purple haired girl as she latched onto the arm of the brown one wearing a pig-tail, "Not that Shampoo mind when you boy-type Airen..."

"Uh...yeah," the transformed girl in question said nervously as she accepted the glomp, "Sure thing, Honey...but...I'm not really in the mood to do anything too much. I have to be on my guard on account of Lao..."

"Let her get her own date," Ranma leered as he took the girl by her other arm, then linked arms with yet another brown haired girl (the one with large, nicely shaped breasts), "Besides, we're supposed to mingle, right? So let's mingle..."

Nila found that she could no longer spare any attention to watch the rest of these proceedings as her designated companion was being all-too-insistent that she pay more attention her way, and-not being one to rock the boat-she decided to adopt a "When in Rome" policy in accepting the hospitality that was being offered. Other servants busied about setting up tables and laying out food that seemed just magically appear as trays of the stuff was paraded out and laid before them in sumptuous and lavish detail.

Before too long there was a party in full progress with lots of liquor being served and plenty of fondling, suckling and other kinds of exchanges. Some couples drifted off to be by themselves while others remained and openly flaunted their affections for one another. Some even went so far as to lay themselves out on their tables and put food on their bodies, encouraging their nearest companions to dine off these "living plates" which did seem more than a bit kinky. The one redhead with the small breasts was purely interested in the food, but could not help noticing the way her sultry companion(who had been ungagged on promise of good behavior!) was admiring the show and displaying...a bit too much fondness for the redhead for her personal liking...

One of the newcomers seemed shocked at the way everyone was behaving, even going so far as to say, "What is this, a Lesbian Nudist colony? Doesn't anyone besides me find this behavior...a little vulgar?"

"I was going to suggest that it reminds me a little too much of a warped version of Fraggle Rock," said the woman nearest to her, "But as long as nobody's pawing my ass, I just want some of that food...I'm starving!"

Nila decided to tune things out, having her mind squarely focused on the girl making herself so unmistakably "friendly." This Xiong Fu girl had everything that one could want in a bit of one-time nookie, a beautiful face with sultry and exotic eyes, a body that looked and felt like it was sculpted to please the senses, and a willing attitude that left one in no doubt at all of her intentions. Being something of an opportunist at heart, Nila found herself warming up to her companion with a rising heat that demanded satisfaction. The golden tone of this other girl's skin contrasted nicely with Nila's coffee-  
cream-brown complexion as the two of them began exploring each others bodies with lips, hands and other body parts that twined so nicely together as they rolled out on the pillows and started making out like two otters in heat. Nila had to silently give her compliments to the captain as she indulged herself in the delightful presence of the other girl meshing breasts together in her arms...this Madam Lao sure knew how to throw one hell of a good party!

And of, course, for the rest of the afternoon Nila would be busy sampling a bit of that hospitality...over and over...just to be clear and certain to all concerned that the effort was well appreciated...

"What's up?" Blossom asked as she entered the bridge, "The Mistress is having another communal orgy, so this had better be important."

"I think it is," Lotus replied as she lowered her binoculars, standing at the port wing of the bridge and staring over the distant ocean before them, "There is a...dark shape ahead of us...I can see it through the infra-red filters now, and we discovered it by sonar readings after our advanced scouts said that they had encountered an island mass off to our port side."

"So?" Blossom asked, "The Mistress asked us to keep out for an island we could use to restock our provisions..."

"Yes," Lotus replied, "Only this island doesn't exist on any charts, and depth readings indicate that no island should be there at all. It is not grounded against the ocean bottom but appears to be...floating."

"Floating?" Blossom did a double-take, "How large is this thing anyway?"

"About five kilometers from one end to the other," Lotus replied, "Selke and her scouts report that it is covered in lush vegetation and may indeed support life, perhaps even have some of the provisions we are looking for, though we will have to send people on land to confirm this."

"I see," Blossom said, "Then the Mistress must be informed of this fact at once."

"I'll send someone along to bring her up to speed on our findings," Lotus nodded as she lowered her glasses, "Can't make too much detail out through the dimension inversion layer, but there is something about this place that seems...disturbingly familiar somehow..."

"A floating island in the middle of the South Pacific Ocean?" Blossom sniffed, "I'd say that was memorable...but you're right...I do seem to remember hearing the Mistress mention something about a place matching that description. Well, it's probably not too important...so hurry along and tell her of your finding."

"ME?" Lotus blanched as she turned to stare at her blue-haired partner, "What about you? Why do I have to do this?"

"Because the Mistress is presently engaged in serious...negotiations...with one of her guests," Blossom replied, "And besides which, I outrank you."

"But...you know what she's going to do to me if I...?" Lotus paused as she saw her fellow Amazon just smile at her, "Oh...you do know, huh?"

"Better you than me when it comes to these things," Blossom smiled, "I'm still smarting from the last time I got flogged for disturbing the Mistress in the middle of her fun. Of course, if you know of anyone else among the crew upon whom you'd care to inflict such...reprisals..."

"No, I'll do it," Lotus sighed, looking like a condemned prisoner who had just volunteered to test out the new gallows, "But you're gonna owe me for this later...Partner."

"Never let it be said that I fail to honor my obligations," Blossom reassured in a cocky manner.

"At least not to your face anyway," Lotus grumbled in faint undertone as she passed her friend and fellow officer by, heading for the galley stairs while hoping their Queen would be in a good mood to receive extra company. If she got really lucky, (and prayed hard enough to her ancestors) she might even get roped into the fun and spend the next few hours being the object of sport for the Lady and her newest conquest. If-however-she were not discreet in making known her presence...

She swallowed a lump that formed at the base of her throat, recalling altogether why her Mistress was known as the "Tigress of the Seas," and having very little urgency to wind up as "catfood" on her lady's menu, as did quite frequently happen to those who wound up on her really bad side, as only one who loved her Mistress well could fully appreciate the perverse...appetites...of her lady...

Continued.

Comments/Criticisms/Cat-Chow Commercials: shadowmane

The orgy continues as Nabiki and company size up the new arrivals, Martha makes her pitch while Ryoga goes in search of a little "quality time" with Akane, and Blossom makes a discovery about that peculiar island in, "Mysterious Islet," or "A Prince Among Men Only," be there!

X

If you wish to check out my other works, Please check out my Fanfiction webpage at: . All related chapters of this series can be found there along with my other works.  
/pre 


	18. Chapter 18

preDNabikiTHCh18

Nabiki 1/2

"A Very Scary Thought!"

THE HONEYMOON HENTAI CHAPTERS!

By Jim Robert Bader

(Inspired by the works of Rumiko Takahashi Others)

Part Eighteen.

HENTAI ALERT-YOU KNOW THE DRILL!  
CONTAINS STUFF THAT YOUR MOTHER MIGHT NOT WANT YOU TO READ, UNLESS SHE'S **REALLY** THE OPEN-MINDED SORT,  
(NOT THAT I'D EVEN THINK OF SAYING BAD THINGS ABOUT YOUR MOTHER) SO BE CAREFUL WHO YOU SHOW THIS TO, COULD RESULT IN LOSS OF HEARING, BLINDNESS, ATIGMATA, NUMBNESS OF THE BODY AND THE HANDS FROM EXCESSIVE FINGER CLICKING, REUMATISM, ARTHRITIS AND OTHER COMPLICATIONS DUE TO STARING AT A CATHODE RAY TUBE FOR LONG HOURS IN BAD LIGHTING. YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED!  
(Well...sort of...)

Ryoga had wandered off from the party, not feeling very social, and also missing the company of the people with whom he would have felt most comfortable (well, in a manner of speaking) in hanging out with, namely Akane and her two best friends, Kodachi and Keiko. Having seen them wander off early on in the party, his appetite for meaningless sex (even vicariously as an observer) being greatly diminished by their absence, prompted him to follow, heedless of the curse that made such actions fraught with peril.

It took little time for him to get thoroughly lost, wandering through the endless corridors of the vessel without a clue as to where he actually was, even when he encountered signs that read, "Boiler Room," "Laundry Room," "Galley Room," "Library," "Study" and even more obscure titles such as "Poker Room," "Smoke Filled Room" and "Officers Ten-Forward." At one point when he encountered a chamber that had a sign saying, "Bowling Alley," he paused to open the door and found-much to his amazement-that there were actual women bowling on a series of lanes, and some mighty tough-looking Marines at that, ladies so hard bitten and mean-looking that when they turned glaring looks his way he hastily backed away, having a very strong sense that to do otherwise would mean having his head turned into a bowling ball. No doubt about where these women turned, and it was DEFINITELY NOT towards the heterosexual persuasion.

Of course that could just be his impression, that or the target with the picture of a man's crotch taped to the bullseye, with knives, crossbow bolts and poison darts sticking out from it, and the target itself positioned at a suspiciously waist-high level, but then again he decided that it would probably be premature to make any pre-judgement of a woman with an arm tattoo of a heart with a dagger thrust through it and the words, "MEN SUCK BALLS!" written out in broad Chinese lettering.

But, then again, in all fairness he did have to admit that these ladies did look rather fashionable in their bondage strips of leather...

Of course the next place he found himself was even more bizarre in that he wondered how it was that a sailing vessel could have a place labeled "Engineering Section," let alone a crew of female technicians who seemed to be frantically running around the place tending to blinking lights and other strange equipment, with one lady who seemed to be in charge of this curious madhouse who was frantically calling into a hand-mike, "Cap'n-we kinnae take it any more-she's gonna blow sky high if we don't ease back on the pressure!"

"Do what you must, Skoti," responded a voice that Ryoga thought sounded a lot like the Amazon named Blossom, "We're all counting on you to maintain an even pressure."

Ryoga decided that everyone was a bit too busy to help him out with directions, so he backed away and tried to retrace his steps, only to wind up in one of the "Recreational" sections which-as usually was the case on Lao's ship-was occupied by gorgeous ladies engaged in the recreational sport of tying up and flogging one another. There was one girl who was even tied to a spinning wheel mounted on a wall, with another girl wearing a blindfold and chuckling knives that missed the spinning girl by inches. Some of what he saw on display looked a little rough by his gentle standards, but since there was no sign of anyone putting up too much of a protest (at least as could be determined, some girls being gagged and all that) he decided not to interfere with their simple native customs.

Then one redheaded girl took notice of him and gave him an "Hello there, Handsome" smile of appreciation. What she said aloud was more like, "Can I help you, Mister Well Hung?"

"Um," Ryoga replied, "Actually...it's Hibiki. You must have me confused with someone else. I'm trying to find some friends of mine..."

"Three girls, one a redhead with a pigtail?" the woman replied, never losing her hungry leer.

"How did you know?" Ryoga asked in amazement.

"I saw you making out with them earlier," the lady replied, "They're your fiancées, right?"

"Er...well...one of them is," Ryoga admitted.

"Check the stables where the Mistress keeps the Pony Girls," the lady replied, then paused when she saw Ryoga hesitate and said, "Oh right...you're new here...you don't know where that is, do you?"

"Well...no..." Ryoga confessed, wondering how to explain his little **problem** with directions.

"Right," she said, turning a glance over her shoulder and saying, "Hold tight, Jasmine, I'll cum and get back to you in a bit, so don't go anywhere."

"No problem, Ariel," another girl replied, one bent over in a pillory with her posterior thrust out as if expecting to receive a closer inspection, "I'll just kneel here and study the woodwork..."

"Not by yourself you won't," the girl named Ariel replied, "Esmeralda, take over for me, will you."

"Sure thing," said a dusky-skinned exotic beauty who was already wearing a strap-on, patting the helpless Jasmine on her rear before calling out, "Hey Mulan, want to give me a hand here?"

"Where do you want me to put it?" grinned a Chinese girl of medium height and build and a highly mischievous expression, "Or do you want me to make my own suggestions?"

Ariel linked her arm with Ryoga's and guided him out of the chamber of kinky torture and led the way to some stairs that led to the next level down, and then to a broader corridor than the ones that normally lined the ship. Ryoga was amazed to find a broad thoroughfare leading straight through the interior of the ship, roughly thirty meters wide and leading off for what looked like a mile in either direction as though linking the bow to the aft of the ship in its very center.

"What is this?" Ryoga wondered.

"The Mistress calls it the Golden Highway," the redhead revealed, "It's her means of getting from one end of the ship to the other without having to rely on the Undines. This is where she trains the Pony Girls who pull her chariots, and it's also where they keep them in the stables, where I'm sure we'll find your fiancées..."

"Um...just the one fiancée," Ryoga corrected, "The other two are just...friends...I guess..."

"Whatever," Ariel remarked as she took him to the sides, where indeed he found a fenced off area where Akane, Kodachi and Keiko were standing around admiring a beautiful blond girl whose hair was done up in a pony-tail and whose body was bound in a harness.

With them was the child named Breeze, who seemed to be explaining something to the girls while Akane used a brush to comb the blonde woman's hair. The blonde herself was unable to attend to this basic need since her hands were bound behind her back, but she seemed rather cheerful on the whole and was chatting away with them as though enjoying the attention. A glance further to the side showed other corals inhabited by other naked women, giving hint to the nature of the place and the sinister purpose to which it was dedicated.

"Here we are," said Ariel, "The Happy Acre Corals, home to some of the finest Pony Girls that you can find on these seven seas..."

"Pony Girls?" Ryoga remarked with a slight tremor of aversion.

"Yes," Ariel explained, "Racing Fems who are trained to run as either a team or to pull a chariot by their lonesome. There's quite a market for these sorts of models and they bring a pretty high price in certain parts of Asia."

The sounds of their voices drew Akane's attention from what she was doing and she turned to smile happily at them and say, "Ryoga-kun! I'm glad you could make it."

"How's it hanging, Stud?" Keiko asked with a wry smirk, "Ariel decide to give you the grand tour of the place?"

"I haven't laid a hand on him...yet," Ariel assured them, ignoring the arm that she had all but commandeered at her side, "He was wandering around looking like a lost puppy, so I offered to show him the way. Guess he's never seen a Pony Girl before, huh?"

"Oh really?" asked the cute blonde, who was even more stunning and built than Ryoga had realized from a distance, her perfect breasts jutting out from the leather harness that she was wearing, "Well, he's come to the right place if he wants an education. I'd be happy to let a stud like him ride me any day..."

"What Palomina means is that she is as glad to see you as the rest of us, Ryoga-  
kun," Kodachi mused, "You really shouldn't wander around by yourself on a vessel of this size, there are portions of Madam Lao's ship that have not been frequented for many generations."

"Yeah," Keiko mused, "There are Marine divisions who've been wandering lost for so long that they've been declared Missing In Action, and some places where it wouldn't be too healthy for a well-endowed bo-hunk like you to wander loose. The natives here tend to get a little restless."

"Got that right," Breeze agreed, "There are places on this ship that Mom doesn't even want me to see...says I wouldn't understand until I get older," she rolled her eyes and made a huffing noise of exasperation.

"Er...well...I seem to do all right...mostly," Ryoga turned his attention back to the stunning blonde and said, "You're a...Pony Girl?"

"That's right," she raised her head and said it proudly, "One of the best around. I can pull a chariot bearing one hundred and fifty kilos around a track doing a four-minute mile. I've even won a blue ribbon at an Inter-Mural competition as Best in Show, and I can trot with the best of them...but don't take my word on it, hitch me up and I'll show you."

"But..." Ryoga paused before saying, "Isn't it a little...demeaning? I mean...you being treated like a horse and all that..."

"Well," the woman shrugged philosophically, "I suppose it might seem a little odd at first, but after a while you get used to the lifestyle. Regular meals every day, plenty of exercise, and I get ridden at least twice a day by the trainers. When I'm not on-duty I tend to hang out with the rest of the Ponies, and we're pretty much free to do whatever we like to each other, just as long as we don't leave a mark or anything like that..."

"But..." Ryoga tried again, "Is this what you really want to do? I mean...don't you miss having a life doing something else? I mean...what were you before this...?"

"A Certified Public Accountant," Palomina replied, "It was boring as hell and didn't pay half as good as this gig. I got roped in by the Mistress about a year ago, and one day I just said to myself, 'Why should I be nosing through account books when I could be pulling a chariot for a living?' Believe me, this is much more satisfying labor."

"But you're a slave!" Ryoga exclaimed.

"Gee, thanks for the announcement," Palomina replied with a knowing smile, "I never would have guessed it."

"Palomina signed her papers giving Madam Lao sole ownership rights to her body a long time ago, Ryoga-kun," Keiko explained, "We were just telling Akane about how Kodachi and me were pulling a chariot together a few months back, during her rehabilitation training."

"Oh yes," Kodachi mused, "There is something almost...exhilarating about racing on a track while your Mistress flicks the lash to encourage you, drawing her chariot as your vision is narrowed by the presence of the blinders, the bit between your teeth as you pull and run for all that you are worth..."

"Wow," Akane remarked, "I've never even thought of it that way. Is it hard learning how to pull on a track?"

"Well, that all depends," Palomina said as she visibly sized Akane up, "With your short stride and build, I imagine you have a lot of leg power but not much speed, though you do seem pretty compact. If you trained in Single Chariot races you'd have to work at building up your speed and stamina so you can compete against long-legged Phillies like me, but I see no reason why you couldn't turn out to be a first class racer. Now, training with a quadriga team is a little more tricky...you'd have to be matched up to one or three girls who come close to your length of stride and physical performance, but with enough training and coordination you ought to be able to synchronize your steps so that your feet all hit the ground at the same time, which will give you that extra power you need to pull a chariot through tight turns..."

"Wow," Akane mused, "I never realized it could get so complicated..."

"This is nothing," Breeze said in airy dismissal, "You should see the girls Mom trains to pull a hitch and a plow for farming, tilling the soil and all that..."

Ryoga decided about that point that he needed to step in and assert himself, but being uncertain on where to go at this point, all he managed to say was, "Akane-  
chan..."

"Yes?" she turned her dark brown eyes in his direction.

"..." Ryoga replied, losing his train of thought as though the box-cars of logic got derailed on a high-speed Bullet line.

Keiko and Kodachi seemed to sense something about him together, for they looked from him to each other, and then Kodachi turned to Akane and said, "Akane-  
chan...I believe Ryoga-kun would like to have a few words with you alone in private. Why don't you two lovebirds run along so you can be by yourselves for a bit. Kei-chan and I would like to reminisce some more with Palomina and bring her up to speed with events on the outside world."

"Oh yes," Palomina nodded, pawing the ground with a bare foot in a way that was surprisingly horse-like, "We don't get too much news of the outside world down here, especially news of America and my home state of Florida. Tell me, are they still counting the ballots down there?"

"For which election?" Keiko asked, then added, "I got word on your big sister..."

"Tammy Lee Fae?" Palomina asked, "How's she doing? Still married to that loser husband of hers?"

"She said that she has been receiving your mail regularly and hopes you are doing well in your new job," Kodachi answered, "Though she seems to be under the strange impression that you are dating an Idol Singer..."

"Oh I was," Palomina replied, "But she got sold to the glue farm. Joke that...I really mean that she got transferred upstairs...she just wasn't all that cut out to be a Jockey..."

"Harness racing isn't for everybody," Breeze remarked, "But if you're in the mood for taking a spin, Pali, then I'll hitch you up and show everybody what a first class trotter you are."

"Why, thank you kindly, young Mistress," Palomina bobbed her head and did a neat curtsey, "I would be ever so grateful."

Ryoga opened his mouth to say something about this, then stopped himself as he thought the matter over. This woman did seem eager enough to please, and while it did seem odd to him that she would express such enthusiasm about her...profession...he was not one to rush to any hasty conclusions about the matter...at least not at the present. After all, his real purpose for being here was to talk with Akane.

Akane acted first by moving to take Ariel's place at his side as the latter surrendered her hold with great reluctance. Ryoga allowed himself to be led a short distance away, and then Akane fixed him with those doe-like eyes again and asked, "What is it, Ryoga-kun? What's wrong? You don't look very happy for some reason."

"Akane-chan," Ryoga began, then hesitated again before saying, "What's happening to you? What's happening to us?"

"Huh?" she blinked her eyes, "What do you mean? What's wrong with us?"

"What's wrong?" Ryoga looked her up and down before saying, "Look at you...you're standing here naked surrounded by all this...craziness...and you can ask that?"

"Craziness?" Akane looked puzzled for a moment, then seemed to get the point and said, "Um...well...I suppose it is kind of unusual...but look at it this way...at least you're no longer getting nosebleeds."

"I think I'm too numb to react that way anymore," Ryoga admitted, "But...I mean...you're spending too much time around Keiko and Kodachi...you're playing all these games and it's started to affect you. I mean...there's nothing wrong with a little sex...I mean...it's great that we share and all that, but..."

"You think I'm overdoing it, is that it?" Akane replied, "Well...I know I haven't been using any protection, but Kei-chan assures me that everyone here is clean and free of diseases. Those Undine servants of Madam Lao's can remove all kinds of harmful bacteria that they find in our bodies and..."

"That's...not what I mean," Ryoga said, "I mean...you're taking all of this...really strange stuff so much in stride that it's starting to affect you. You act like having sex with lots of people is perfectly natural, and you're even talking about chaining yourself up to a chariot now! Don't tell me that you're going to let them turn you into one of captain Lao's women?"

"Well...what would be so wrong about that?" Akane asked, sounding faintly annoyed by the question, "Ryoga...I finally understand what it means to have a really good time. Sex is wonderful, it's natural...it's something I enjoy doing more than anything else in life. It's just incredible the things that Kodachi and Keiko have taught me in the last few months...I finally understand why boys think about making out with us girls all of the time...it's just unbelievable! I've never been this happy!"

"Happy?" Ryoga asked, "I thought...we were going to be happy just having each other..."

"But we are happy, Ryoga-kun," Akane touched his arm and looked at him in mild confusion, "Aren't we? I'm not leaving you out of anything? Because if you're worried about that..."

"No, that...isn't it at all," Ryoga hesitated by a bit before he continued, "It's not the sex...not really...it's about us...about our commitment...you and me and no one else. Doesn't it seem at all to you like we're just doing a dance that has no rhythm to it...as if someone else is pulling our strings and making us move to her beat?"

"You mean the captain?" Akane replied, "Ryoga, that's just Oneechan being paranoid. You don't really think that everyone is on this ship for no other reason but that Madam Lao wants them to be here? Don't you think that people might actually want to live like this for themselves and what they actually want?"

"Uh...well..." Ryoga thought about that for a moment.

"Ryoga...I actually like it here...everyone is so friendly, and no one here is passing any judgement on me for being...kind of different."

"Different?" Ryoga blinked, "How do you mean?"

Akane chewed her lower lip then said, "It's just...that I've never been thought of as...too feminine back home. People always look at me and stare then say, 'There goes the Tomboy, watch out or she'll beat you up!' Even the guys who used to harass me every day thought I was a little weird. Only Tatewaki ever called me a 'soft and gentle flower.' Back home I'm a freak, the girl who likes to fight and who doesn't know how to act soft and demure like my older sister, Kasumi. People used to point at me and whisper behind my back, saying I was more like a boy than most girls. Despite all those guys who used to want to date me, I've never been the prettiest or the sexiest girl in school, and some people even called me a Dyke when they thought I couldn't hear them. I was the Nail in our school who refused to be hammered down, only unlike Ranma, I wasn't thought of as being all that cool defying normal convention..."

"What are you talking about?" Ryoga blinked, "You're not a freak to me, and you're the most feminine girl I know..."

"Yeah," Akane smiled, "But you're prejudice, Dummy. I like you because you see people as they are, not the way other people judge us to be, Ryoga-kun...but here they aren't judging me for being different, here I'm cool, and just about everyone wants to hop into the sack with me...only unlike the boys at our school they actually are polite about it and back off when you say no..."

"You've actually said 'no' to them?" Ryoga arched an eyebrow.

"Because I don't want to do anything behind your back that I know you'd disapprove of," Akane replied, "Mind you I wouldn't mind a bit sleeping with everyone in Lao's harem...they're just some of the most incredible people I've ever had the chance to get to talk to, and they taught Kodachi and Keiko-chan so much about making out and showing affection for the people you really care for. People back home just get so...strange when you show a little emotion. I've never realized before how repressed we Japanese really are about showing our feelings..."

"And they make you feel more relaxed?" Ryoga concluded, following at least this much of her logic.

"They make me feel like I can get in touch with the real me for the first time ever," Akane said, "All my life I've had to bottle up so much of me in order to fit in. If it hadn't been for my martial arts over the years I just know I would have gone crazy without an outlet. The minute I started to show any real emotion back home my so-called friends would all look at me and give me this, 'There goes Akane again, she's so un-feminine' look that I hated so much. At least Ranma had the guts to tell me what he thought to my face, and he used to tease me when we were kids, then tell me I shouldn't worry so much about it. He could always flaunt conventions and no one would ever say anything mean about him...I grew up so envious, and he'd never take me serious as his future fiancée..."

"But you're no longer engaged to him," Ryoga pointed out, "You're my iinazuke now..."

"I know," Akane smiled, reaching out to touch his arm with affection, "And I want to thank you so much for putting up with everything these last few weeks. I know you're not into the bondage scene as much as I am, and whenever Kodachi or Keiko ties you up you've always got this uncomfortable look about you, like this isn't really such a turn on for you as it is for me. I just find rope bondage so...liberating...like it gives me permission to just let go and not have to hold myself back all of the time. It's funny how not being able to move takes so much of the pressure off of me so that I can relax and have fun, especially when either Kodachi or Keiko starts to play with me and I just sit back and take it from both ends..."

Ryoga got very round-eyed in seeing the almost dreamy way that his iinazuke described the 'joys' of being tied up and tortured, either with fingers, feathers, whips and flogs and clips about her nipple and clitoris with wax being poured over her body. It really was an eye-opening thing to hear her go on about such...odd pursuits as though it were the nicest way in which to make out with another person. Clearly Akane did not see anything wrong about such things, as though any objections that she might once have had were swept away in a relentless tide of hunger to find out how far she could be taken over the edge and beyond the pale of what he would have thought constituted consensual sex-  
play. Clearly the girl he loved had turned into a person who could indulge in any form of kinky fetish with as much enthusiasm as some girls who tear into a new romance Manga.

Strangely enough this did not put him off against her as much as he would have thought would be the case. True Akane was going overboard about her newfound enthusiasm for sex, but it did seem...at least plausible how she might be roped in (pun intended) by the desires of her friends to "show her the ropes." Kodachi had become something of an enthusiast at these games of extreme perverse pleasure, and Keiko...well...she was always a little strange in his opinion, but in a nice kind of way that he didn't judge her for too harshly.

Just then he saw movement out of the corner of his eye, and when he turned to look his mouth hung open, for there was the statuesque blonde calling herself Palomina trotting past them with a racing harness now hitched to her body and Breeze sitting in the saddle holding the reins and steering her by the bridle that was now clenched between her teeth. The beautiful Pony Girl's full breasts were bobbing in time to her stride as she trotted at an easy gait, drawing the harness along with an ease that spoke of long and intensive practice, her bare feet making a drum-like rhythm on the floor with her forward movement.

"Isn't she something else?" Akane spoke with clear admiration in her voice, "'Dachi-chan says she's a true thoroughbred, and her Mistress is even thinking of studding her out so she can foal more champions just like her."

On the other hand, Ryoga reflected, taking things a little too passive might not be such a good thing after all, especially with the disturbing tone of approval in Akane's voice that almost sounded a bit laced with a hint of envy. A mental image of Akane hitched up to such a chariot came to mind and immediately made Ryoga feel a need to find a hasty Kleenex.

"Say," Keiko spoke up, "Can 'Dachi-chan and I trust you two crazy kids to behave yourselves for a while? We're going back to the party to join up with the others."

"Indeed," Kodachi noted, "We need to consult with Nabiki and the others. There are...unresolved issues that must be attended...and matters that have been postponed for too long a time must needs be addressed if we are to have resolution and closure among our party."

"Hey, why don't we tag along," Akane said, "This place is great, but we can always come back and visit it another time. What do you say, Ryoga-kun? Want to join in on the fun upstairs or...would you rather we...talk some more in private?"

The way that she looked at him and phrased that lilting speak suggested that Akane had other things besides "talk" in store for Ryoga, and the way she was eyeing the redheaded Ariel made him feel increasingly nervous as mental images that might once have given him a brain hemorrhage came immediately to mind, making him almost long for the days when his iinazuke would fly off into a jealous rage at even a hint of Ryoga showing interest in another woman. The look she was giving this other girl as much as said that she was in the mood for a little...seafood.

At any rate, returning to the party was one way of avoiding a dramatic confrontation on that and **other** related issues...and by postponing a resolution on the matter of Akane's increasingly libidinous behavior he gave himself more time to think the matter over. Perhaps Akane was turning into some kind of a raging Sex Monster, but she was still basically the same sweet girl he had always known her to be...right? Perhaps the pedestal he had mentally placed her upon for so long was showing a bit of tarnish, but overall it was a good thing that his lady love was resolving so many long-unresolved issues from her past, and she did seem genuinely happy about her newly uninhibited state, she was still basically sweet, kind and caring towards others, even if she was turning into perverted Hentai with behavior that might well have shocked Happosai, but other than that she was still basically HIS Akane-chan...right?

He wondered why-as he thought this-he heard what amounted to an odd sort of thunder rumbling in the background...

Nabiki could not believe what she herself was thinking at that precise moment, reckoning it as statistically impossible that she and Lao could actually be in agreement on anything, but the more she talked to the girl in front of her, the more convinced she became that enslaving her was probably a **good** thing for the sake of humanity. Better that than letting someone as airheaded and scatterbrained as this walk the streets of a major metropolitan city!

"...And so I said to Kiyone, 'What are those people doing passing along those white bags of flour? I thought we were supposed to be making a major drug bust, but it turns out those bags really were full of flour...of course it turns out that powdered wheat is a powerful hallucinogenic drug on Rimbus XIV in the Sagittarius Cluster, but who'd believe that there's actually be a black market for the stuff? Guess those Rimbuzoids really like their product whole grain after it's been processed, right Kiyone?"

"Why me?" groaned the gorgeous brunette at her side, the one presently resting her face in both hands and staring down at the table in total disconsolation, "It was supposed to be a simple bust, but you HAD TO SCREW IT UP FOR US-AGAIN-  
-by discharging your blaster at the ceiling instead of at the Bad Guys!"

"Yeah, well, we arrested them anyway, but then you got mad for some reason and we wound up letting them go," the coffee-cream colored blonde girl with the large feline-like blue eyes remarked, pausing to place a finger to her mouth as she considered the point, "...Or maybe it was when the roof caved in and we both went swimming in the bay. Good thing for us those nice blue ladies were on hand to pick us up, right?"

"My life is a nightmare..." the brunette groaned softly.

"Gee, sounds like you two have had a pretty rough time of it," said a young seeming girl with Eurasian features, "It must be exciting work being a cop. Me, I kind of work the other side of the fence, know what I mean? Picking pockets is my trade, but how was I to know I'd be picking the pockets of a slaver? Oh well...at least the food here is good..."

"You said it!" said the redheaded girl named Lina, who was presently tearing into a high-piled plate of food with ravenous intensity that made everything seem to just evaporate off her plate, "Good thing they've got an 'all you can eat' policy here, I'm starving after hanging around for three days with only those elementals around to give a girl a good time..."

Perfume was staring at the young mage, appalled, and voiced aloud the question that just about everyone else was asking in silence, "Where do you put all that? You must have a portable hole for a stomach!"

"Lina has always been one to value a good meal where she can find it," said the more refined lady Nagha, who was dining on her share of the food with more courtesy and restraint in her manners, "Besides, it's her way of dealing with stress...but if you truly wish to see a bottomless pit, then you should see her friend Goury when he shares a meal with her. The two of them always treat food as if it were some form of almost-friendly competition."

"Damned straight I'm stressed out!" Lina growled between taking huge bite-fulls of food and wolfing it down with generous amounts of liquor-laced fruit juice, "The nerve of that Pirate lady, thinking she can just grab the two of us up off the streets of that city and subject us to all kinds of perverted torture, only to decide to throw us back like used linen! I'll have you know that I'm a rare and delicate flower much admired by men where I come from, and anybody says different, I'll fireball them into next week!"

Nabiki also found herself fairly appalled at the way this miniature bottomless pit chomped down at anything that was set in front of her, making her own eating habits almost dainty by comparison. It was the first time in her life that she had actually met someone who could eat more than her Uncle Saotome in one sitting, and a mere slip of a girl at that, one who did not even have the waist or chest capacity to make that much food disappear, judging by her waiflike, slender dimensions.

Of course the real issue of concern here was how many of the women sitting down at their table actually had the right mindset and temperament to be included into Lao's training program. The very idea that even one girl might make a fitting slave would seem to have legitimized the entire profession, and the moment she made even that much of a concession she could well travel down the road that Lao had taken when first she had decided to be a slaver. It was a mental leap for which Nabiki was not truly prepared, even granted that some of these girls would seem to be perfectly suited for a life as courtesans, a position that Nabiki still stubbornly held t be an illegitimate profession.

"Hey, what is with the service here?" said the blonde executive sitting further down the line at their table, "You honestly expect me to eat this stuff? This isn't fit for street people living in back alleys, let alone a civilized palate..."

And then again, Nabiki silently averred, there was the odd exception...and perhaps some people DESERVED to have a taste of what it was like to be on the other end of the social pyramid...

She turned her mind back to what Ranma was doing with her at the moment, smiling to herself as she accepted her place in his lap, for once not complaining about being rear-mounted. Ranma was holding her in place while the two of them shared a meal together, his manhood somehow remaining stiff and erect inside her rectum, preventing her from getting up or going anywhere, which was exactly what her husband wanted.

"Say what you like about Lao," Ranma murmured in her ear as she passed him along a bowl of sautéed mushrooms, "At least she can be a good hostess, when she wants to."

"Just as long as one stays on her good side," Nabiki noted, rather enjoying the feeling of having her man be inside her, even if they were too busy stuffing their faces to do anything really hot and heavy...at the moment.

One of the good things about having her husband's manhood inside her while they ate was that it helped defuse some of that latent excess sexual energy that always seemed to be charging everything in the air, which-ironically enough-  
helped Nabiki to think a little more clearly. Odd how being pegged in the rump by a seven-inch hard-on could relieve so much stress as she started to actually take stock of everything and come to a more serious conclusion about Lao and the way she ran her operation. It did indeed seem as if the libidinous captain was adhering to the letter of her word in providing her a chance to size up the "New Recruits" and determine whether or not they "belonged" in a harem. Going by Lao's odd form of logic, she had sized up and eliminated at least half of the "likely candidates" as "unsuitable for training," a catch-phrase that the other women in the harem tended to use when referring to such women. The other half of these candidates who did seem to have some form of potential as concubines ran the gamut of various emotional backgrounds and complexes that might predisposition one to a life of trading favors for comfortable surroundings. If one could accept the whole notion of a "Natural Born Submissive," then several girls certainly did seem to fit the mold and could be "convinced" to join the program with very little actual coercion.

Not that she really did go along with Lao's idea about owning people and treating them like property, but at least the Slaver went to great lengths to prepare her girls so that they would not be badly traumatized by the experience. Brainwashing or not, there were far worse ways in which one might turn a human being into a purely sexual object, not that Nabiki had any intentions of becoming one herself, or of seeing any member of her posse get "turned" with the program...even (and here there was a bit of an exasperated sigh that escaped her on reflection) someone who was clearly turning into a devout Fetishist like her little sister, Akane.

As obsessed as she had been with finding a way to turn the tables on their smirking hostess, Nabiki had noticed the way in which her younger sister was drifting to the orbit of Keiko and Kodachi with their many "games" of perverse pleasure. Looking back she wondered why she had not put her foot down sooner, or taken issue with the sort of things that Akane was being exposed to, with the subsequent evidence given that Akane was now a willing participant in everything her friends suggested. Akane had gone from a shy and awkward girl who blushed at the mere mention of her own body to someone who was willing to be bent in all sorts of "poseable" positions for the simple amusement of trying herself out in progressively more-and-more advanced games of bondage.

Nabiki sighed and eased herself as much as she could into Ranma's lap, smiling when she thought of how possessive her husband had gotten with her of late. They had both felt the lure of temptation that was provided by the harem, but unlike Ukyo and Shampoo had refrained from expanding their game to include Undines and concubines within their marriage circle. Perfume was wavering but still remaining loyal to her Airen, even in the light of how taken Ukyo was in exploring other options. The chef had started out by making okonomiyaki for the harem and wound up receiving compliments and flattering that progressed into open invitations that Lao's women wanted to shower their favors as a sort of "compliments to the chef" proposition.

It was not that Nabiki could blame Ukyo for being tempted, or for Shampoo being so outgoing and gregarious with the women of the seraglio, just as long as they kept things to a minimum amount of flirting and covetous glances. When the concubines themselves began making more outrageous advances, Nabiki had considered putting her foot down but was restrained by Ranma, who murmured in her ear, "Let's not rock the boat right now, Nabchan...this ain't the right time to be starting anything. Ucchan and Shamchan can handle themselves and if things get too far out of hand, Perchan will help break things up, right?"

"Er...well..." Perfume blinked, "I guess...Airen..."

Nabiki felt Ranma's hands exploring her breasts as he took a break from eating to do some cuddling of his own, then nuzzled her right ear and said, "Hope you don't mind that I'm feeling kind of horny myself at the minute. With all the screwing we've been doing of late you'd think I'd get over this, but..."

"Oh?" Nabiki asked as she settled back in his arms and enjoyed a good fondle, then deliberately tightened her sphincter before pushing a bit off their pillowed flooring to add a slight amount of "tugging" pressure to his loins, "You want to get your rocks off with me, husband? Well...I suppose I could accommodate..."

Just then she saw Akane and Ryoga setting back down at their end of the table as concubines and "guests" scooted over to make room for them, and then Keiko and Kodachi appeared beside Ranma and Nabiki, setting down to opposite sides as though to take flanking positions.

"Nabchan," Keiko said, "We've got to talk."

"Oh?" Nabiki asked as she glanced to her left to give a sardonic look to the redhead, "What about?"

"About matters left unresolved and of a highly personal nature," said Kodachi, who now sat down at Ranma's right side, "We know how you feel about the Mistress, but rather than try and change your mind about that, we want to ask that you indulge us a certain...favor..."

"Uh...yeah?" Ranma asked nervously, feeling awkward at the closeness of the beautiful girl upon whom he had long had a crush, and for once she wasn't looking at him like he was totally beneath her notice."

"The seraglio is more than just a place to have kinky sex and hang out in the altogether," Keiko replied, "It's an extended family, a working, breathing tribal unit, and the way you two keep holding yourselves apart from it all...it disrupts the social harmony that holds this group together.""

"Yeah, so?" Nabiki asked.

"So we would like to ask if you would...allow us to let our hair down a little and to speak frank for once," Kodachi replied, then added, "Ranma-kun?" in a surprisingly familiar way.

"Ah...yeah?" Ranma swallowed, "What is it, Kodachi-chan?"

The dark haired girl lowered her violet eyes and looked down for a moment, then raised her gaze once again to look him in the eyes with a seriously expression, "I want to apologize to you for the way I've been treating you all of these years. You were a friend to my family and my brother, and I never truly appreciated that about you. I knew about...your interest in me...but I treated you coldly and selfishly, never once thinking about your feelings. It was wrong of me and I ask that you forgive me."

"Er...sure, 'Dachi-chan," Ranma replied, "I forgive you. It's in the past anyway...forget about it..."

"Would that I could forget about it so easily," Kodachi murmured, then turned her look towards Nabiki, "I also wanted to ask your forgiveness, Nabiki-chan, for the way I treated you months ago when we first met...especially your Kaneda self. I know it embarrassed you, and I want you to know that I sincerely regret that..."

"You don't have to apologize to me," Nabiki replied, "You weren't quite yourself back then either."

"I know," Kodachi averred, "But...of late I have been tormented by guilt over the things I once did that caused you so much distress...especially you, Ranma-  
kun. I never really appreciated that you had such feelings about me...it was wrong for me to humiliate you, to make you jump through my hoops and suffer from my insults towards your manhood. I would give almost everything I have if I could make right what I did wrong back then, and not least because you have surpassed my expectations of you and grown to become the sort of man that I would have been proud to call my husband."

"I also want to make my apologies," Keiko said, "I've imposed myself on you, Nabiki, starting with that time you freed us both from Phat's arena. That night we made love together was...truly special to me...but I presumed more from it than you took it to mean, and I'm sorry for that...and for your rat-fink uncle coming between us and anything deeper."

"Um...well..." Nabiki replied awkwardly, "I suppose some of the fault was mine in...letting him get away with that..."

"The simple truth is," Keiko resumed, "That I've never been able to entirely get you out of my system, Nabchan."

"Oh?" Nabiki asked with a nervous arching of her eyebrows.

"When I decided to give up on you and surrender the field to the rest of the other players after your ass," Keiko continued, "I thought I could be the mature one and not try and compete against the likes of Shampoo and Saotome here. When I started to fall big-time for Kodachi I thought that everything would wind up perfect but...well...doors that remain unclosed have a way of opening themselves, if you take my meaning. Kodachi and me both agree that we left a lot of...unfinished business in the air, and if we want to make a go of a more permanent style of relationship, then we have to make our peace with those we've wrong and those we care for."

"But...I thought you guys were after Akane and Ryoga?" Ranma asked.

"Oh, we are quite happy being involved with Akane-chan and Ryoga-kun," Kodachi replied, "But we do not fool ourselves into believing that this is a permanent relationship. Ryoga has been a sweet dear in going along with our suggestions...but we can tell, in his heart of hearts, he truly is a one-woman type of fellow, and if we pushed things too hard we might wind up spoiling that which is between him and Akane. Already it is possible that we may have gone too far on that particular subject."

"We've started to notice Ryoga-kun drifting a bit away from our fun," Keiko said, "So we're going to have our hands full repairing fences there. The thing is...we want to be sure that everyone winds up happy in the end, which is why it's long since time that we made up with you guys."

"Um...well, you said it yourself, old business," Nabiki said with a bit more strain in her tone than she had intended.

"Of course there cannot be true closure until we agree to make a true act of contrition, which-fortunately-this setting is ideally suited for us to make," Kodachi noted with a peculiar lilt to her voice, "Which is why we wish to petition you for formal permission to...temporarily invade the sanctity of your marriage."

"You...what?" Ranma asked with an astonished expression, only to be surprised as Keiko leaned forward and placed a kiss upon his lips.

"But you don't have to-hmmph?" Nabiki got very round eyed as Kodachi moved forward and planted a kiss on her lips, causing her to momentarily lose track of her intended protest as she had been prepared for it to be the other way around here.

"May I please," Kodachi murmured when their lips at last parted, "...Have the extreme honor of paying my deepest respects to your husband?"

"...?" was the most coherent thing Nabiki to think about saying.

"And would it be all right with you if I have Nabiki for-say-the next half hour or so, Big Stud?" Keiko asked sweetly, then-when Ranma looked too stunned to respond-she took it as assent and said a pleasant, "Thank you," and reached out to embrace Nabiki, easily prying her loose from her purchase as Ranma's raging hard-on was removed from her rectum, to be replaced by the attentive hands of an affectionate Kodachi, who used a cloth to begin cleaning it up for her inspection.

"Thank you ever so much," Kodachi smiled, "I am most appreciative and grateful for your trust and will endeavor to have your husband returned to you in due course...if in slightly used condition."

"Say...what...?" Ranma looked up to find the luminous deep purple eyes of the black rose staring into his own blue eyes, an appropriately appreciative smile on her ruby lips as she rose up to present her chest to his inspection, and without a word drew him into her embrace.

Nabiki fell into a pile of pillows as Keiko fell atop her, pinning her down as though this were a wrestling match and planting a kiss on her face before snuggling up close to her and cooing delightedly, "Now this is more like it..."

"Uh...Keiko-chan?" Nabiki was more surprised than disturbed by the sudden aggressiveness of her first female lover, but-strangely enough-she did not feel like putting up a fight when Keiko next bent her lips to kissing her with deep and abiding passion. Very soon after this tongues were exchanged as the magic of the environment did its work to lower any resistance that might have been felt on either part, and Nabiki found herself yielding to the fiery Kickboxer's ardor in tacit acceptance of the "apology" being given.

Perfume-who had been only half-paying attention to these proceedings-  
suddenly looked up with an alarmed, "Hey!"

"Oh, let them have their fun, Sugar," Ukyo urged as she popped up her head from the dogpile of bodies in which she and Shampoo were presently members, "Been expecting Kei-chan to make her move for sometime now, but Kodachi...now that's right out of left field..."

"Think Rose girl is showing Airen he much more man than she hint before," Shampoo gasped, taking her mouth away from the interesting place it had been residing for the past several minutes, then plunging back down again to return to some studious "muff diving."

"Nice to see Oneechan getting into the spirit of fun here," Akane remarked, "And it looks like Kodachi has that baka caught in the headlights for real this time...which reminds me, Ryoga-kun..."

"Uh..." Ryoga began to perspire, sensing that his own manhood was suddenly and once again in eminent peril.

Ranma took a deep, heartfelt breath of a sweet, musk-like aroma that filled his nostrils, wondering if Kodachi deliberately perfumed her body, or was she truly a Rose Girl in all the ways that mattered? The heady aroma of sex that attended her did a lot to break down his initial reluctance, and so he started to reply with her overtures as he nuzzled her breasts with his lips and tongue, using both hands to steady himself while fondling her with the skill of his Kamasenken, much to Kodachi's immediate and heartfelt approval as she held him close to her body and urged him to satisfy his hunger with some tender and affectionate "breast feeding."

Across from them, Lina Inverse had stopped eating and was staring at the overt display of libidinous behavior playing itself out before her, her expression one of non-plussed astonishment and perverse fascination. Beside her, her well-  
endowed and bosom companion smiled, sensing opportunity in the air and not above taking advantage of Lina's distraction to steal a succulent morsel from her plate, knowing that it would earn an immediate reaction.

"Hey!" Lina protested, "Give that bad-I wasn't finished!"

"And what would you give me for me to return it?" Nagha asked, making a point of laying the morsel at the top of her cleavage (or rather what would amount to cleavage had she been wearing a stitch of clothing), then pushing her massive breasts together to form a trough that held the morsel in place, "Come and get it if you want it..."

"Huh?" Lina blinked, then frowned, "Oh yeah? You think I'm gonna fall for that one, Nagha, you've got another think coming. FIRE-!"

"Uh-uh-uh," Nagha chided sweetly, "You can't use regular spells while you're chained with cold iron, and if you resort to your more powerful magics it will draw the attention of the elementals, who have strict orders against allowing you to spell-summon while on this ship."

"But...that's dirty pool, Nagha!" Lina protested.

"Yes it is," Nagha replied, "What's your point?"

Ranma found himself easing into Kodachi almost before he even knew that she was moving her body into position. Being already well lubricated, it was simplicity itself for Kodachi to mount herself upon the horn of his manhood, thereby fulfilling the dream of many private fantasies of his youth, though no dream that Ranma could remember could compare to the reality of having Kodachi accept him into her body as though the two of them had been lovers for quite a while now. Certainly the dazzling smile she gave him made him feel ten feet tall and did a lot to urge him on in proceeding to give her the benefit of his expanding knowledge of female anatomy, and-as he fervently had hoped-Kodachi proved enormously responsive to his skillful treatment, and-more to the point-began moaning softly in sensuous approval.

Nabiki was amazed at herself, not only for accepting Keiko's advances but for returning them with interest. She knew a short distance away Kodachi was screwing with her husband, and yet she found that she had no jealousy nor resentment about the subject, even feeling excited for some peculiar reason, as though the very concept of Kodachi and Ranma together were some marvelously perverse turn-on.

"Man, doesn't anybody respect the institution of marriage anymore?" remarked Alison as she and Beatrice wandered in from the next chamber, the former holding a cloth-wrapped baby in her arms while her companion hovered near by her shoulder, "On top of all the other perverse stuff going on we're adding mate wife swapping to our group? And when did Ranma get so familiar with Kodachi?"

"I believe it's the other way around," Beatrice mused, "It would seem Kuno-san is making a move towards reconciliation, of a sorts. Of course it could also be the magical ambiance of this place working its usual charm, bringing people closer together..."

"Guess so," Alison blinked, "Whoah...take a look at what that Keiko is doing with Nabiki...now that's what I call an athletic maneuver."

"Nothing that we couldn't try ourselves...a little later," Beatrice mused, "But in the meantime...that food does smell good, doesn't it?"

"After just going through two hours of labor?" Alison grinned, "You bet, and it looks like they just left enough for me, and maybe a few scraps for you. Of course the kid gets her own lunch, ain't that right, you little nipper you?"

The infant nursing at her breast did not reply, of course, unless it was to redouble her suckling noises.

"Hey," Ukyo looked up from what she was doing and saw the pair gingerly stepping past the writhing bodies and said, "You guys ready to join us? I've been wondering how long it would take you to recover..."

"Oh, you know Aiko-chan and her healing abilities," Beatrice cheerfully remarked, "A couple of hours rest and she's ready to go. I should know that well from all the times we used to quarrel together..."

"You mean those times when you used to try and kill me, but I'll let that pass," Alison sniffed, then turned back to Ukyo and the others who were paying attention, "Guess that means I join you guys in the perils of motherhood. Got any tips for a first-timer?"

"Are you kidding?" Ukyo smirked, "I'm just figuring things out for myself...but...what are you going to name the kid now that you've finally had her?"

"We considered several names," Beatrice replied, "But we settled on the name of Eileen, my late mother."

"Eileen?" Shampoo asked as she, too, looked up from the interpersonal screwing that she was taking part in, "Is odd name for warrior..."

"I thought so too, before Beiko gave me an earful about it," Alison sniffed, "But Eileen sounds pretty good when you practice it a few times...Eileen Kent-  
Kane Daitokuji Managi...just don't call her E-ko, okay? It sounds too much like Echo."

"Actually it is a derivative of the Grecian name Helen, which means 'Shining One,'" Beatrice explained, "And out child will shine like a star, having such splendid genetics in her ancestry..."

"I should say so," remarked Perfume, "Part God, part Amazon, part Kryptonian and part...um...whatever you are," she gave a teasing nod to Beatrice, "Don't know what that makes her, but if she's anything like her mothers, then she'll be a real terror."

"Look whose talking," Alison smirked, "If your kid's anything like the both of you then she's gonna be a real terror on the neighborhood..."

"On the other hand, she should grow up to be a magnificent chef," Beatrice observed, "Or-failing that-a quite talented tracker."

"Or maybe both," Ukyo suggested, "What do you think about that, Per-chan?"

"Well," Perfume said, "If she has my tracking senses, then it might make it hard for her to work in a kitchen...too many smells to clog up her senses...but maybe with a little training she'll manage it better than I can."

"One can only hope with kids," Alison mused, then added a bit darkly, "At least I'm gonna try and do a better job with mine than Oneechan obviously did with Joan. From what I've been able to piece together so far, it sounds like she dropped the ball a long time ago..."

"To be fair your sister had personal problems that interfered with her abilities as a parent," Beatrice remarked, "But as long as we stay together, our child will have the benefit of our experience to help guide her. I trust the same will hold true with Fragrance and Lylac..."

"Shampoo hope so too," the purple haired Amazon said as she got to her feet, "But you make good point...is enough time spent away from child. Shampoo go check on baby and see she no miss her mother."

"I'm with you on that," Ukyo said, "Fun and games are not excuse for irresponsible behavior, and if I want to be a good mother for my child, I'd better get back on the ball. Sorry about that, but duty calls."

"No problem," said the girl whom she had been in the process of pleasuring mere moments ago, "Do what you have to...I understand, being a mother myself."

"Great," Ukyo paused to turn at the sound of Kodachi arching her back as she hopped up and down on Ranma's lap with great enthusiasm and enjoyment, leaving the chef and the others to stand non-plussed for several long moments before at last Ukyo replied, "You know...I really should be irritated about that, but for some reason...I can't help wishing them both a good ride...at least for now...but remind me to punish her for it later."

"Count on it," Perfume sniffed, "Imagine riding our husband without asking our permission, not that Nab-chan seems to be doing any better at refusing an offer."

Indeed, Nabiki was finding it impossible not to respond in kind to Keiko's gentle ministrations, so much so that she was not capable of noticing the stares being turned her way, though some part of her mind did cringe a little in advance of an eventual accounting on the matter.

"Aiyaa," Shampoo said a bit crossly, "Also remind Shampoo to spank Red bottom so she know not to poach on Shampoo Airen when she back is turned."

"You know, that almost makes a kind of weird sense when you think about it," Perfume remarked.

"You mean the part where you guys were cheating on her and Ranma, but it ain't cool when they cheat on you?" Alison wondered.

"That would seem to be the point that they are making," Beatrice remarked, "However, looked at objectively, it really doesn't seem as if the normal rules of human relationships apply here in Lao's domain. Even a resolve as strong as Nabiki's seems inadequate to refuse the influence of all-purpose Nymphomania that seems part and parcel to the ambiance of this ship."

"Translation please?" Alison asked her partner.

"You mean this place makes us all go crazy with lust for one another and just about anything that walks on two legs?" Perfume sniffed, "I could have told you that."

"If the lust-influence of this place is as strong as we all know it to be," Ukyo remarked, "Then how can any of us stand against Lao herself? It's no wonder she's been able to toy with us like we're all puppets dangling on her strings."

"Aiyaa," Shampoo exclaimed, "Then what we do if cousin no want let us go?"

"Pray to our ancestors that she means what she says about letting us go home after this trip is over," Perfume replied, "Otherwise...well...hope that these two get good enough to take her in a rematch," she nodded to Ranma and Nabiki, who were both too far gone in their private trysts to pay much attention.

"Kodachi-chan..." Ranma murmured in a moment of clear ecstasy, even as Nabiki gave vent to a cry of delight at what Keiko was doing to her at that particular moment.

At that everyone looked dubious over their future prospects with the odd sweatdrop or two giving hint to the degree of their nervous trepidation...

Lotus ease the door to the side and peered into the Captain's personal chamber, hearing the sounds of heavy action coming from the bed, and not wanting to disturb her Mistress in the middle of her fun, but seeing no other way of carrying out her essential duty.

Clearing her throat and gathering her nerves, Lotus made a noise to call attention to herself and then said, "Mistress? Sorry to disturb you, but..."

The rumbling on the bed ceased abruptly and then Lao's head popped up into view as she rumbled menacingly, "What is it, O' soon to be dinner?"

Lotus swallowed thickly and stood to attention, "Blossom sent me to inform you that we have sighted land...only the island is a strange one that does not appear to be grounded on the ocean bottom...in fact, scouts report that it appears to be...floating."

"Floating?" Lao sat up and gave Lotus more scrutiny, "A floating island? Are you sure about that?"

"Positive, Mistress," Lotus replied, "Selke and her people are at a loss to explain this curious phenomenon, but we were wondering if we should stop and investigate. After all, the island is not large, but it may have provisions that we need."

"You interrupted me for that?" Lao frowned as Martha Kent rose up on her elbows and eyed the captain with wry amusement, "How many times have I told you not to interrupt me when I'm in negotiations? Oh...never mind...a floating island you say? That does sound familiar...we're not, by any chance, even farther to the east than I'd supposed we should be?"

"I'm positive, Mistress," Lotus replied, "Shall we send an away party to land and take our bearings?"

"Might as well," Lao mused, rubbing her chin with a thoughtful expression, "A floating island...I hope that this isn't something like Panga Panga..."

"Panga Panga?" Lotus's eyes got wide, "You mean that forbidden place where exotic green dancing women lure people off to the side and-and-?"

"And what?" Martha asked.

"I don't know," Lotus shrugged, "No one has ever survived to report what happens next."

"It's odd...it's truly odd," Lao frowned, "I know that there was a floating island on our schedule someplace. Can't be Shakespeare Island...that's in the Atlantic. Oh well, I'm sure it will come back to me if it's important. Organize a team and lead the away party yourself if you would please, Lotus dear."

"As you command, Mistress," Lotus replied, not daring to give evidence of her relief at not being assigned latrine duty for a week (not that anyone much used the facilities, thanks to the services of the Undines) or some other such odious punitive duty.

"Oh," Lao said in afterthought, "And report to the torture chamber when you get back, not that I mind your doing your duty in informing me, but it's a longstanding tradition to punish the messenger when she interferes with her captain's pleasures."

Lotus gulped and winced before saying, "Yes Mistress..."

"Aren't you being a little harsh with her?" Martha asked, "She was only coming here to get your consent for a landing party."

"True, but Lotus-chan knows that discipline builds character," Lao remarked, then paused to consider the point before adding, "Make it half duty, and I'll let you off with a stern warning...this time. Better yet, tell Blossom that she can split the discipline time with you, and I'll officiate to make certain you enjoy it."

Lotus did not bother this time to disguise her relief as she said, "As you wish it, my Lady. I will be back with news about the island within the hour."

Lotus took her leave but did not fail to hear Martha saying to Lao, "You're strict."

"I know," Lao replied, "And-believe it or not-she happens to be a very close friend, but that doesn't mean that I can afford to lower my standards. Once people hear that a pirate has gotten soft it's riot and mutiny and work, work, work..."

"I suppose that's true enough," Martha said, "But still it seems that you expect more loyalty out of your people than is seemly. Even slaves deserve their dignity..."

"How well I know this," Lao replied, "Do you believe that I am too hard? I certainly am trying to be fair, but I suppose I do let expediency get the better of my personal judgement. I'm not sure how to quality this...no matter what I do I find my motives being questioned...it gets a little frustrating at times being suspected of much worse crimes than those for which I am actually guilty."

"Uneasy rests the head that wears the crown, eh?" Martha mused.

"Quite so," Lao nodded, "But then again, I have my limits, and many a King in a guilded tower, if he wants to cling to Pomp and Power, must manage somehow to get through more dirty work than ever I'd do..."

"Thank you Gilbert and Sullivan," Martha sniffed in an amused voice, "But still...I think you're right about that. You may do some pretty...questionable things...but I've known far worse than you, and some of them I've even worked with, against my better judgement?"

"Like this General Gordon fellow who seems to have earned your righteous wrath?"

"That goes without saying," Martha replied, "People who operate in the shadows often think that they are a law unto themselves, and God help us if they have government backing because they become twice as arrogant and four times as convinced that they're on the side of the Angels and anyone else is an ally of Lucifer..."

"I have never truly understood this Western concept of ultimate evil," Lao sighed, "There are many forms of evil that defy and distort the pattern of nature, but ultimate evil is inherently self-destructive. Even the most wicked people retain some sense of self-preservation and have an instinct for their self-interest that you can appeal to. The closer you come to ultimate darkness the more self-destructive and nihilistic you become...I've seen it in the eyes of people who are without hope or a solid foundation. I want a world where people can be nice to each other without having to guard themselves against pain, betrayal and desertion. Does that make me a fallen idealist or a cynic, I wonder? Either way, I think that we have to know our limits and adhere to them before we allow ourselves to sink into the deepest pits of degradation and despair."

"You have a poetic sense of yourself," Martha remarked, "I find that surprising in a Slaver."

"Hey, I'm just full of surprises, trust me on that," Lao smirked slyly, "Try me out if you have any doubts about it."

"Ah yes," Martha replied, "I believe we were still exploring those issues in our negotiations..."

"Indeed," Lao smiled, "What say we resume with our...negotiations...?"

And that's just what they proceeded to do, while Lotus turned away and sighed, wondering at the strange quirks of fate that had led a humble Amazon warrior to such a curious state where life was one never-ending adventure, and it wasn't just a job, it was $5.97 an hour...

Continued.

Comments/Criticism/Early Retirement Plans: shadowmane

The landing party makes a curious discovery as Nabiki and Ranma awake to themselves and a new level of understanding, and Lao strikes a deal that will have long-ranging consequences...but what's this shadow that's stalking the party, and does it portend a new kind of trouble to befall our heroes? Be with us next time for: "Island of the Morose," or "I'll Make a Man Out of You!" Be there!

X

If you wish to check out my other works, Please check out my Fanfiction webpage at: . All related chapters of this series can be found there along with my other works.  
/pre 


	19. Chapter 19

preDNabikiTHCh19

Nabiki 1/2

"A Very Scary Thought!"

THE HONEYMOON HENTAI CHAPTERS!

By Jim Robert Bader

(Inspired by the works of Rumiko Takahashi Others)

Part Nineteen.

HENTAI ALERT-(AS IF YOU NEED TO BE TOLD BY NOW!)  
CONTAINS SCENES OF AN ADULT NATURE, NOT THAT I MEAN TO IMPLY THAT ALL ADULTS BEHAVE MATURELY OR EVEN ACT APPROXIMATELY NEAR THEIR OWN AGE CHRONOLOGICALLY. IN FACT THERE ARE QUITE A FEW ADULTS WHO ACT AS IF THEY WERE PETER PANS WHO NEVER FIGURED OUT HOW TO GROW UP, AND POOR WENDY HAVING TO STRUGGLE IN THE HOPES THAT THEY'LL ONE DAY SEE THE LIGHT, WHEN THEY OUGHT TO GIVE UP ON THOSE OBVIOUS LOSERS AND...WELL NEVER MIND ABOUT THAT, BUT YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED!

"Well, you were right about one thing, Clark, it definitely was the Kraken."

"No fooling," he noted to his wife as the two of them hovered high above the level of the waters, scanning down at the ocean bottom upon which lay the remains of a submarine's dead hulk, "It's got her mark all right, crushed almost beyond recognition, and the poor souls on board probably never even knew what hit them."

"Like the hand of Poseidon himself reached out to do the deed," Diana averred grimly, "Of course the type of damage done to that ship definitely confirms that it was a torpedo, so we can pretty much guess who fired the first shot..."

"That doesn't make this any easier for me," Clark replied, "I know Lao can be ruthless against those whom she considers a threat to herself and her loved ones, but even for her this is pretty excessive. Self defense or not, she never even gave those people a chance..."

"Well, we know they weren't exactly innocents," Diana replied, "That sub has a hull number that definitely confirms that it was the one hijacked from the North Koreans about a week or so back. There are some who would say that they got what was coming to them..."

"Yes, I know," Clark nodded, "But I've never been one of those kinds of people. I've seen too much death and senseless killing in my time to be so blasé about it."

"I know," Diana gave her husband an affectionate smile, "But not everyone can live up to your admittedly high standards. I think we should just limit ourselves to finding Martha and Alison and leave questions of higher justice to those better qualified to make such judgements."

"You're right, of course," Clark frowned, "I just can't help feeling...responsible somehow..."

"For letting Lao continue to operate?" Diana asked sadly, "We both know the reason why."

"I know," Clark grimaced, "But that doesn't make it any easier..."

"HEY YOU TWO! ARE YOU JUST GONNA GAWK UP THERE ALL DAY OR ARE YOU GONNA SOCIALIZE WITH US GROUND-BASED PEONS?"

Clark and Diana turned to look down at the booming speaker, an incredible giant of a man standing atop the conning tower of a most unusually designed submarine. Without pausing to hesitate the pair drifted down to where they could converse normally with this fellow, and then Clark replied, "You're anything but a Peon, Frank. Heck, you've even been in this business a lot longer than I have."

"We're glad you took the time out from your daily business to help us out," Diana said, "We've spent the last two days doing reconnaissance, but so far we haven't been able to track down the POJ or find out what Lao has done with our two daughters."

"Huh," the seven-and-a-half foot tall craggy-faced giant remarked, "If you need my help figuring that one out, then you're even more in the clouds than I thought. Hell, you've both been 'guests' on the POJ, you know the Kitty-Cat's methods even better than me..."

"We do have some rough idea of what may be happening to my daughters," Clark said grimly, "And believe me, I'd like nothing better than to take Lao over my knee and tan her hide, but first we have to find her ship, and that's proving to be a problem."

"It's not entirely of this world, you know," Diana explained, "And surrounded by a magic field, and with about a million square miles of ocean to canvass..."

"I get the point," Frank waved it away then said, "The problem is that Lao doesn't exactly keep to a regular schedule, though she's off-course if she was really headed for the Philippines. My sources track her as last seen headed in a south-easterly direction. Don't ask me to explain it, I have trouble enough trying to figure out how that lady thinks sometimes..."

Suddenly a midshipman in a seaman's navy-blue uniform appeared from the conning tower hatch and held up a missive in one hand, saying, "Doctor Steinberg...message from you, compliments of the Captain."

The big man accepted the folded sheaf of paper in one large hand and then unfolded it to read the contents, cocking a green-tinged eyebrow before saying, "Heh...what do you know? Looks like the Cat's getting careless in her old age..."

"What do you mean?" Diana asked.

"It's a message from Triton, an associate of mine," Frank replied, "He says the dolphin song has been relaying reports of a ship matching the POJ's description. It was spotted about three hundred miles from here, due east. Says the ship's approaching a floating island...and I think I know which one that is. Come on down and hitch a ride with us, we can be there in a few hours, and it's safer for the both of you than if either of you try and face Lao directly."

"Lead the way," Clark replied, descending to the submarine with Diana close by his side, and before too long they were on their way, the great dark mass of the world's most notorious submarine sliding into the briny depths as silently as a ghost-ship and moving with the sleek grace and speed of a giant Orca, barely creating even a ripple in its passage...

"Landing site secured, Lieutenant Commander," Sergeant Waverly reported, "No signs of hostiles or natives so far encountered. Shall we send scouting teams ahead to check out the perimeter."

"Make it so," Lotus replied as she waded onto land with the rest of her away party, watching the marine detail fan out with professional efficiency, forming three teams of three to move out into the tall brush that lay just beyond the sandy beach and the line of palm trees that marked where the highest tide levels could be found, a bit closer to the shoreline than she would have imagined.

"Jordi," Lotus said to her companion from the Sciences Division of their ship, "I want a survey done of the local flora and whatever fauna you can find in the next ten minutes. Take soil samples and have then analyzed. I want to know if the food here is fit for consumption, and how much of it we can expect to transport back to the ship. Alula, you're with Chekhov and me..."

"That's Chernokov, LC," said a slavic-born engineer in her detail, "You're thinking of somebody else..."

"Oh right, sorry about that," Lotus replied as she gave an apologetic nod to the bespectacled girl with the clip-board, "You make a list of the things we need and check them against whatever is available. This isn't like one-stop shopping, but if they have it and we want it..."

"Right," the girl engineer replied, adjusting the taped bridge of her glasses so that they fit on her nose while studying the lists made out in front of her as though memorizing the lines for a play.

"Sir!" the Sergeant reported after seeing one of her people wave back and make a warning sign from her position, "We've encountered natives, and they appear to be hostile. Recommend taking defensive action..."

"Do whatever you have to but-for pity's sakes-don't fire the first shot!" Lotus pleaded, remembering the last time Waverly and her band of raunchy mercenaries were let loose on an innocent band of natives, "Alula, send a message back to the ship and inform them that we have a first-contact situation...directive protocols will be observed in accordance with the Captain's orders and..."

"LC!" Chernokov cried out, pointing down at the sand upon which they were standing and calling everyone to attention over the fact that a large shadow appeared to be...moving to surround them.

"I don't believe-" was as far as Lotus got before the darkness fully engulfed them, and while-on later reflection-she would remark to herself that it was a pretty lame thing to say at a moment such as this-she was a bit at a loss to be creative on the matter, falling into the pattern of some old movie cliché which a heroine might gasp just before the scene faded to black, which was a pretty good description of what happened to them the next moment later...

There was no sense of transition that could prepare him for that moment. One moment Ranma was engaged in something **interesting** with Kodachi, the next minute he found that he was in the ocean and was swimming against the tide, struggling with the currents without even remembering exactly when he had fallen overboard or which ocean it was through which he presently traveled. All he knew was that he had to keep swimming and not let himself be overcome with the current, as if to slacken in his efforts would be to allow the currents themselves to overwhelm him. Somehow he managed to keep his head above the water in spite of a tremendous undertow and the choppy waves of the seas threatening to drown him, but all at once an object appeared just ahead of him, and upon it was crouched a familiar figure...

"Ranma-kun!"

Nabiki? Somehow she had managed to get there ahead of him, which annoyed him for some obscure reason. Nonetheless he redoubled his efforts and was soon reaching out a hand to take the one she was extending his way, and within moments was pulled onto the raft upon which she and the others were clinging, a raft that was tossed about by the currents yet somehow managed to remain upright for all of that. Ranma glanced at the others and found-to no great surprise-  
-that Keiko and Kodachi had made it with them and that all four of them appeared to be in the same boat-uh-raft...clinging to one another for dear life against the currents.

"Where are we?" Ranma asked.

"I have no idea!" Nabiki replied over the sounds of the howling winds and clashing waters, "I'm as much in the dark about this as you!"

"We all woke up and found ourselves swimming in the same waters," Kodachi replied, "It's as much a mystery to us as it is to you!"

"What happened?" Ranma asked, "Did the ship sink or something?"

"Impossible," Keiko replied, "The POJ can take just about anything that the ocean dishes out, so unless someone exploded a fireball or a bomb..."

"That could be it," Nabiki suggested, "Maybe one of Lao's 'guests' took exception to her hospitality and decided to get nasty."

"Could be," Kodachi admitted, "Although with all the steps the Mistress took, I don't see how..."

All at once the ocean roiled up and curled to form a looming shape directly before them, forcing all four teenagers to turn and gape as a dragon's serpentine shape took form, gazing down at them with cold, menacing eyes, her body entirely watery as a booming voice roared up from within her, "WHO DARES TO BRAVE THE LAIR OF THE QUEEN OF THE UNDINES? WHO ARE YOU WHO CHALLENGES THE MIGHT OF ULQUALSH THE EVER-RESTLESS?"

"Uh oh," Nabiki murmured, "This looks like trouble..."

"Ulqualsh?" Keiko blanched, "That's Madam Lao's familiar!"

"More like her silent partner," Kodachi averred, "And she looks to be a bit peeved for some reason..."

"Um...hi?" Ranma asked timidly, "Sorry if we're bothering you, but..."

"YOU?" the huge head craned down to stare balefully at Ranma, "LATISHA'S MINION DARES BRAVE THE LAIR OF MY STRONGHOLD? WHAT UNMITIGATED EFFRONTERY IS THIS? YOU OVERSTEP THE BOUNDARIES OF YOUR REACH, MORTAL!"

"Hey, I didn't do it deliberately," Ranma protested, "Being here's an accident..."

"ACCIDENT OR INTENT, YOU HAVE DARED TO CHALLENGE ME, NOW PAY THE PRICE FOR YOU MISERABLE HUBRIS!"

The Dragon loomed to her full height and expanded her jaws, opening wide enough to pose a genuine menace as she prepared to strike, most likely to devour the whole raft in one gulp, a fact Ranma realized instinctively, which prompted him to act with a spontaneous burst of genius.

He had defeated the self-described Salamander Queen some two months back by using a maneuver that he had invented for his Honosenken, and now he attempted to do something similar with the Fire Dragon's opposite number, falling back on the Yamasenken maneuver known as the Deep-Sea Canyon Wave, which consisted of him getting to his feet and balancing on the raft, then moving his hands apart with such haste that he created a vacuum, one that sucked in part of the elemental's mass from within her mouth, only at the last instant to move his hands in a rapid circle, thereby dispersing the water.

The water dragon was caught off guard and thrown into confusion as the maneuver literally turned her inside out and broke up her attack before it could happen. Ranma then saw patterns of heat and cold forming within the swirling moisture of the dragon's shape and began to move his left hand in a clockwise circle, crying out, "CONTAIN AND CONFINE ADVANCE!" which effectively created a horizontal water-spout to further confound the elemental. Ranma felt his Chi rise up and burst out to expand like a bubble that surrounded the others and kept them safe from the moisture (with Nabiki remaining female), only then he collapsed that bubble and let the suction draw it in to his left arm, channeling it away as the oceans slowly began to return to normal.

"Ranma-kun?" Nabiki asked, surprised to see a swirling column of moisture surround her husband's hand, only to vanish as though absorbed into that arm by a sponge-like suction. One moment later the dragon was gone and only they remained with Ranma standing facing the ocean calmly, the waves lapping at their raft only a gentle roll that hardly disturbed them.

"Okay," Keiko said, "What the hell just happened?"

"He absorbed the elemental into his body," Kodachi marveled, "But how did he do this?"

Ranma stared at his own arm with widened eyes and said, "I-I don't know...I just..."

All at once he felt something lurching up from within him, and then he automatically extended both arms, feeling the rival forces threatening to tear him apart as a column of fire and a stream of water flowed out from either arm, taking the form of two rival dragons who eyed each other levelly then clashed in a swirl of blue and crimson that caused the world itself to swirl about them like a mad "Spin Cycle" conjured up all around them, or a Hiryu Shoten Ha formed by his own Chi framed in separate currents.

For a moment everything was in turmoil, and then reality settled down again, and they found themselves on surprisingly calm water, still floating on a raft but with a sky above that was clear and effervescent.

"Whoah," said Ranma after several long, tense moments of attempting to get his bearings.

"Kami-sama," Nabiki murmured at his side, staring up in amazement, "It's...full of stars..."

"How curious," Kodachi remarked, "It's like looking at the Milky Way galaxy itself as projected towards the domed roof of a planetarium..."

"Yeah but...am I going nuts...or is it kind of shaped like a...tree?" Keiko wondered.

Ranma continued to stare as the pattern of the stars slowly formed an immense tree in which the stars became lights decorating the branches, and those branches stretched out to encompass everything with a trunk in the center that grounded the sky to the Earth through roots that also extended out to embody other times and dimensions. And then, as he continued to stare, the tree took the shape of a man...an immense giant who was impossibly vast and unbelievably ancient, prompting him to ask, "Who is that?"

"Adam Kadmon, the Great Souled Being whose mind and body comprise the whole of your world," came the surprisingly gentle voice of a maiden who appeared in the air beside their raft, "Have you never studied the Kabala?"

"Who are you?" Nabiki automatically asked as she saw the angelic being descend to where her feet were just barely touching the water, and for some odd reason she found herself asking, "Kasumi?"

"That individual is not directly known to me," said the vision of loveliness as she manifested before them, her body surrounded in a radiant gold aura, "I am but an emanation of she who normally guards the threshold that you have trespassed. You are not authorized to go beyond this point...please state the nature of your visit and what it is that you wish to know concerning the Tree of Knowledge?"

"The Tree of Knowledge?" Keiko asked of the vision.

"Curious," Kodachi mused, "She must refer to the ancient belief of the World Tree, said to support the Nine Worlds of Creation that it encompassed within its branches..."

"Actually there are twenty-two dimensional spheres that are embodied within Yggdrasil," the vision replied, "And uncountable alternate realities that form the Multiverse in which you live. I am from the Higher Order that maintains the balance of reality itself, a Protocol sending of the Yggdrasil data relay system drawn in the image of She whose Name I am unworthy to Process. How may I be of service to you who would seek the wisdom of the Tree of Ultimate Insight?"

"You mean...do we have a question for you?" Nabiki said, "Well...for one thing...do you know why Madam Lao and her ship are so bloody powerful, and if they can be beaten?"

"One moment," the radiant vision closed her eyes and was silent for a few seconds, then opened her eyes and said, "The individual whom you identify is known by the name of Lao Kane, born of the Joketsuzoku Amazons, currently the named owner of the Avatar Ship called the 'Tung Chiao ,' which also goes by the more commonly known title of 'The Floating Piece of Junk.' Said individual is soul-bonded and contracted to her ship by a pact with the Neflim Avatar known to many as the Kraken. As its recognized human host, she has the resources of both the ship and the Avatar which-combined with her combat skills and knowledge of Oriental Magic-gives her a formidable reach and a major part to be played in the destiny of the once and future Nexus of the Japanese Islands..."

"The Kraken?" Ranma asked, "What is the Kraken anyway, and how can something so powerful exist?"

"The Kraken is the name given to the Neflim Avatar known as Uliel," the vision replied, "One of the most powerful beings currently residing upon the Earth Plane...ancient creatures who sometimes have been identified with the Legendary Titans of old, whose counterpart is the Neflim Avatar known as Leviathan. Another name sometimes given to this level of ancient being is the name of Angels..."

"Angels?" Nabiki repeated with an eyeblink.

"As I have said, that is one of the names by which they are called," the vision replied, "But I am also what is known as an Angel...a lesser manifestation of the Modron, who are of a much higher order of being..."

"But what are these Angels...I mean...the Kraken and...there are other creatures like it?" Ranma gulped.

"They are the Planetars," the vision replied, "Earthly guardians who protect the divine order. Some might term them as Mindless Beasts as they ruthlessly pursue an agenda that is not entirely consistent with the higher order. Chief among this breed of lesser emanation is the earthly embodiment known as Adam, who sleeps the sleep of the millennium..."

"Adam?" Keiko blinked, "Then who's Eve?"

"The Mother of the Races," the vision replied, "Second among the Host, whose companion is Lilith..."

"You're saying these guys are named for the Biblical Adam and Eve?" Keiko asked with amazement.

"And the rest of these...Avatars...all bear the names of Jewish Angels?" Kodachi marveled.

"Incorrect," the vision replied, "They are the Planetar counterparts to the Angels so named, the reason why they are referred to as Avatars, though the correct term for them is Neflim..."

"Neflim?" Ranma asked, "What does that mean?"

"Giants in the Earth," murmured Nabiki, "Angels who descended from heaven to mate with the daughters of men to create a race of giants called the Neflim..."

"That is more-or-less correct," the vision acknowledged, "The Neflim are the ancient product of a union between the earthly and the divine, but they are far more than human and more ancient than you can imagine. Over the course of their nearly endless lives they have grown to take on forms and shapes that are considered monstrous and inhuman, but they are guided by an intelligence that protects the planet called Earth from terminal ravagement in preparation for the Day of Judgement when all earthly souls will be harvested and judged...""

"Harvested?" Ranma repeated in a tone of disquiet.

"I don't like the sound of that," Keiko averred.

"It was set down in ancient protocols that, should the balance between heaven and earth be broken, the Neflim will arise to doom the sons of Adam to the wrath of judgement, so saith the great Programmer in the heavens," the vision explained, "The Neflim will seek out and join with Adam and his Host to bring about Third Impact, the final judgement of humanity where the spirit of Lilith shall rise and reclaim the children of Eve into her bosom..."

"I most definitely do not like the sound of that at all," Kodachi murmured, "Is there a way of preventing this...Third Impact from occurring?"

"Yes," the vision replied, "The balance must be maintained and the Covenant must remain unbroken, else the Neflim will perform their function as has been set into their nature. It would not be a very good thing from the perspective of the human race should this occur, thus it is important that the Sleeper to the South must not Awaken. The Neflim have their place to serve in the destiny of the world, but should their mission conflict with the destiny of man, then woe betide the world itself when the day of judgement shall happen."

"Oboy," Ranma winced, "Yeah, that definitely doesn't sound too good. So...this Kraken thingie...?"

"Is a Neflim bound to the Avatar ship known as the 'Piece of Junk' through its covenant with a mortal named Han Bo-Lo," the vision replied, "So long as the Covenant remains firm the Neflim called Uliel will remain a benevolent force serving the will of its Mistress, but should it free itself from this dominion..."

"It could unite with Adam and bring about Third Impact," Keiko suddenly exclaimed, "Now I understand! The Mistress told me something about this a couple of years ago, when I asked her myself about the Kraken! No wonder she considers her link with the creature to be some kind of a burden..."

"Indeed," Kodachi said, "A burden upon which the fate of humanity must rest, and who in all sanity could wish for a thing such as that upon their conscience?"

"Are you saying that Lao keeps this Kraken thing from becoming a real problem?" Nabiki blinked.

"It almost sounds like she's performing a service to the world itself," Ranma said, "But...what was the Kraken doing before this Han Bolo guy sealed it to the ship?"

"It rested in the sleep of the millennia," the vision replied, "Once-long ago-  
-the Kraken arose to take part in the Titan wars against the Gods, and most of the world was almost drowned in that conflagration...but then Lord Zeus sealed the Kraken away in his crypt of memories..."

"I get it," Keiko said, "And this Han Bo-Lo guy woke the thing up so he'd have a powerful monster in his service...only now the Kraken is so much a part of the POJ that a part of its own body resides within the lower holds of the ship."

"Not too shabby a lifestyle when you think about it," Kodachi mused, "It powers the ship, it keeps the Undines alive in their quasi-elemental state, and it gives whomever is its current owner almost unlimited resources upon which to draw...and all Mistress Lao has to do is feed it the occasional odd morsel."

"More like the dreams and memories of the people on this ship," Keiko revealed, "Sometimes Mistress Lao feeds a girl to the Kraken in order to have her purged of some unpleasant experiences...it's perfectly harmless...the Kraken leaves them intact while giving them renewed health and a purging of negative experience, then it spits them out again clean and whole like a newborn baby..."

Nabiki shuddered, "She turns them into mindless drones by using this Monster to do her dirty work?"

"Ah...not exactly," Ranma said, "You're putting a negative spin on things, Nabiki...the Kraken doesn't really harm the girls, it just...chews them over a bit and helps them get a fresh start on life..."

"And how do you know that?" Nabiki rounded on him.

Ranma blinked, "I...don't know...that just sounded right for some reason..."

"The point is that the Kraken is potentially a far greater threat if it were free of its bounds to Madam Lao," Kodachi pointed out, "So long as this ship has a Mistress...or a Master...it will serve humanity...but should it be free to carry out its original function..."

"Yeah," Keiko shuddered, "That would be bad..."

"Yeah, but if this Adam guy is the key to the whole thing, then letting him sleep it off is the real deal, huh?" Ranma asked, "I mean...nobody would be stupid enough to want to wake him up...would they?"

"Unfortunately there are men who seek power for its own purposes and who do not count the danger as seriously as you do," the vision replied, "Should one of limitless ambition and narrow wisdom find the tomb of Adam it could bring doom to the mortal plane. The Neflim are above human morality as you understand it, and some even appear to be men. You all carry within you a spark of Adam in your genetic code, meaning that you are all joined together by a common destiny, a destiny better served by living out your lives and fulfilling the role that fate allots you, but should one arise who seeks the path of hubris in defiance of the Covenant of Heaven..."

"Right," Nabiki said, "We got that part. Do not open until Ragnarok unless we want to bring about the 'Rapture of the Saved,' right?"

"Saved is the operant word here," the vision replied, "Your vital statistics would be saved, filed and duplicated for storage, but there would no longer be a version of you living on your planet."

"..." Nabiki uttered as she took that in, then said, "Okay...nice safety tip. Now...where are we and how do we get back to the others?"

"What do you mean where are you?" the vision smiled, "You are where you have always been, you are there right now, all you must do is open your eyes and awaken."

"Huh?" Ranma replied as he felt his consciousness expanding, "Awaken...but...?"

And then he came back to himself with a start, fluttering his eyes as he awoken back in his natural body, finding himself reclined back among the pillows that formed his bedding in the middle of the seraglio, and there at his side, resting on his arm and opening her own eyes was...

"K-Kodachi?" Ranma blinked.

"Ranma-kun?" Kodachi replied, looking equally surprised at finding herself within his embrace.

All at once they both sat upright and turned to look...somewhere else, both feeling incredibly awkward as the moment of confused memories briefly brought them back to an awareness of what they had been doing a short while before falling asleep from mutual exhaustion. At their sides the twined pairing of Nabiki and Keiko also came back to full awareness of both themselves and their surroundings, then looked around with mutual confusion before remembering who it was who was sleeping at their side, though it was only Nabiki who registered anything like an unpleasant reaction.

"Gah...Keiko-chan...I mean..." she swallowed.

"Welcome back, sleepy head," Keiko leered, "Did you have a nice nap?"

"Um..." Nabiki looked chagrined and embarrassed, but then she turned to Ranma and said, "Ranma-kun...you...and Kodachi?"

Belated realization of his awkward place at the side of a naked and blushing Black Rose made Ranma automatically raise his hands and cry, "It's not what it looks like! I mean-um-er-well...maybe it is, but...!"

"But...it would seem that the four of us...were a bit...distracted...for a while there," Kodachi said awkwardly before turning a hesitant look towards Nabiki, "Does...anyone besides me seem to remember something about a tree and a vision telling us about the Angels?"

"You saw that too?" Keiko arched her eyebrows, "And here I thought I was just high on Nabiki-chan. So...that really happened, eh? And...Saotome?""

"Huh?" Ranma asked, seeing the odd look the redhead gave him, "What?"

"Take a look at your arms," the kickboxer nodded.

"What about...?" Ranma looked down, only to see that the tattoo that covered his right forearm now had its counterpart on his left arm...another set of shifting and flowing tattoos that were a sign of a pact being formed with an elemental. He lifted his left arm and stared at it for a moment, only to have a voice cheerfully pipe in at his side, "Can I help you, Master?"

"Master?" Nabiki answered for Ranma, seeing a beautiful naked Undine standing there beside her husband with the kind of "I want to be of service" expression that few wives wanted to see in such a situation.

"My mother asked me to fulfill the terms of contract with you since she is already contractually obligated and cannot serve two masters at the same instant," the Undine replied, offering her hand, "I am Sharil, the daughter of Ulqualsh, and I am here to serve you in whatever capacity I may, Master."

"To serve him?" Kodachi asked, "You're not...one of the ghostly servitors who inhabit this ship?"

"No," Sharil replied in her curiously quavering voice, "Unlike many here I was never born a human, though I have lived among humans for so long that I am at home in my present shape. I was born an Undine, though my father was a human, one of the earlier owners of this ship, and so I am honored to be of service to you, young Master, a mortal who bested my mother is a man who is to be respected, perhaps even admired. Tell me how I may make myself of use to you, Master?"

Nabiki sat there with an open mouth, but then she frowned and growled, "RAAANNN-  
-MAAAA-!"

"Urk," Ranma hunched his shoulders, murmuring to himself, "That's it, I'm dead..."

"Do you want a burial at sea or a cremation?" Kodachi reflexively asked, though she kept glancing nervously at him as if fearing to admit the actual thoughts that she was presently thinking.

Fortunately for Ranma's peace of mind, that was the moment when a concubine came into the room and announced, "Hey guys! There's an island off the port bow where we're stopping to have a look! The Mistress sent a shore party ahead and we may be given some furlough time and shore leave!"

The news was greeted with cheers and applauding by those concubines and guests not either currently engaged in eating or sex, or the ones splayed out in various positions of relative exhaustion. Even Sharil looked excited by the news and said, "Oh, how wonderful! I hope it's a deserted island, the crew needs some time to stretch their landlegs. I wish I could go with them...but the shore really isn't my element, sad to say..."

"You mean...Lao lets you guys go on land on a deserted island?" Nabiki sounded amazed at the realization.

"Oh yeah," one of the concubines herself replied, the cheerful one introduced earlier as Xiong Fu, who was just then rising off of the dusky skinned beauty whom she had been draped over like a mantle, "This means we can get some fresh air and catch some sunrays! Living on a ship all the time-especially one surrounded by a dimensional inversion-really doesn't do much to help a girl get a good suntan, know what I mean?"

"The air in here is magically circulated," another concubine remarked as she combed hair out of her eyes with her fingers, "But nothing beats having honest-  
to-the-Gods wind in your face with that strange smell that only land has..."

"This is where we get to stretch our legs and really strut our stuff for fun," a third remarked cheerfully, "We might even have a luau while we're at it, depending on how long the Mistress lets us stay..."

"Don't get too excited yet," a fourth concubine cautioned, "The landing party isn't back yet, and for all we know it could have hostile natives or be a tourist trap for the jet-set..."

"Who cares?" a fifth exclaimed, "It's been so long since we had shore leave that I'm ready to go sack and pillage to haul away any islander who tries to get in the way of me and my tan lines."

"Hey, I like the sound of that," remarked a fifth, "Maybe the Mistress will let us take part in a raid and we can bring on some Island girls for a little inter-  
cultural hanky-panky..."

"And the men better not say squat about it or we'll give them something to remember," leered a sixth with obvious enthusiasm.

One thought suddenly occurred to Ranma...that these pleasant, enthusiastic sex-  
crazed concubine girls might appear to be harmless fluff on the surface, but he never wanted to ever see them get angry, especially in his direction. For all their 'fun and games' frivolity, there was an undercurrent of aggressive feminine lust hiding beneath the surface that implied that they could be dangerous when angered, and pity the one who did wind up on their bad side because whoever did that more than likely would not survive the encounter...

"She what?" Blossom reacted.

"She's vanished, Sir," Lieutenant Hastings reported, "Completely without a trace, and the rest of her away team with her. Lieutenant Commander Lotus was beginning to relay something about encountering some natives...and the next thing we know everything went dead. Undines scouted out the beach and found some of their equipment had been dropped, but without the freedom to go further inland they can't pursue and find out what happened between them and the natives."

This was bad, VERY bad, and Blossom knew it on a fundamental level. On the one hand her best friend and fellow officer had just turned up missing under highly dubious circumstances, on the other hand there was the even MORE alarming fact that an entire landing party full of their best scouts and marines had just gone MIA without a shot being fired. That was more than bad...that was definitely DISTURBING, so much so that she knew that it was even worth taking a risk of disturbing the Mistress while at play, which was a thing that she was loathe to do even under the most extreme of circumstances.

Of course when one weighed the two together, there was a kind of "Damned if you do, Catfood if you don't" kind of risk of upsetting her lady. On the one hand she would be in trouble for interrupting her fun, on the other hand she would be derelict in her duties for failing to report this, and it was not exactly the kind of assignment that you could hand off to an underling. It meant that (shudder) she would have to go down there herself and inform her ladyship that THEY HAD TROUBLE!

Fortunately for Blossom's peace of mind, one of the Undines volunteered to take the job off of her hands, and since the Lady was only "omniscient" on the POJ when she was paying attention to the mental reports of the Undines, that meant having to invade the sanctity of the Captain's bedchambers, a place where even the brave feared to go without invitation. Fortunately-being already technically dead-an Undine took considerably less of a risk than a normal human, and so an Undine named Sally Perkins (or so she had been known in life thirty years ago) traveled through the porous structure of the vessel to arrive mere seconds later and re-solidify in human form, finding her Ladyship (as expected) hip-deep in the poontang.

Ironically enough another Elemental was assisting the Captain at that moment, employing her pliable body to help structurally reinforce Lao's own natural dimensions with a kind of watery "exo-skeleton" that gave her the form of a man complete with functional equipment. In this "faux-male" form (easier to use than Instant Nanniichuan, which often conflicted with her natural curse) she was in the process of pleasuring her newest houseguest, who was bent over on the bed on her hands and knees howling up a storm while a water-based prick easily slid into and out of this Martha Kent's body (while both lady and Undine were careful to avoid direct contact with the orichalcum).

"Oh yes, oh yeah...keep it cumming, baby, you're doing just fine...!"

"I told you that this would be an experience you would long cherish, didn't I?"

"OOOOHHH-YEEEAHHH!" Martha shuddered, enjoying one very long and luxuriously intense orgasm later, and since everything she felt was conveyed through the elemental into Lao (who had her own "plugged" equipment being pleasured by the Undine) her joy became the captain's joy, and through this mutual experience they shared a "waves and clouds" orgasm that even the Undine known as Sally could sense and experience vicariously, and so she hung back rather than immediately interrupt their pleasure.

When at last they both came down from their intense double fuck-fest, Martha turned her head and cried, "YOU ROCK! That was one of your best efforts ever!"

"Didn't I tell you that I could get creative here when inspired by the right bed partner?" Lao cooed, only to turn her head and say, "What is it, Sally? I sense that you are disturbed about something."

"Indeed, my lady," Sally replied, and opened her thoughts to allow the Captain to read her report directly.

Seconds later Lao was cursing herself in tones that even an Undine could find shocking, while Martha looked at her when the captain withdrew from both of her rear openings and asked, "What's wrong?"

"I am such an idiot!" Lao swore, "Of course I remember which island this is now! How could I be so stupid as to send Lotus there without advanced warning? GAH!"

The other Undine withdrew from her body and reformed herself in the shape of a woman, then turned to Lao and asked, "What are your orders, Mistress? How shall we punish these malefactors?"

"Leave that up to me," Lao directed, "Return to the bridge and inform Blossom that I am taking charge of this directly. She is to prepare a second landing party and to have them armed with traditional weapons only...no automatic firearms. The Prince who rules here is rather particular about that."

"Prince?" Martha asked as she rolled over on the bed to face Lao more directly while the Undines vanished up into the ceiling.

"Don't concern yourself, my sweet," Lao replied, taking a moment to gaze fondly at the sight of her beautiful captive laying out in naked glory with chains about her ankles like a true and proper captive. Then Lao did the truly difficult thing for her, which was to turn away from her usual instincts and say, "I'm afraid I'm going to be a bit busy with diplomacy and negotiations of a different sort for the next hour...affairs of State, it seems, must take precedents over Affairs of state, but I expect to return shortly and continue where we left off, if you will be a bit patient."

"I suppose I could postpone things to a later lunchdate," Martha remarked reflexively, not bothering to hide her disappointment, "But if there's trouble, maybe I could help..."

"The offer is appreciated, believe me," Lao smiled, "But...there is a kind of a danger here that you wouldn't be much help against, not with your vulnerability to magic, and I would be MOST distressed if you should fall victim to these people. I have to go because one of my very dearest friends is in trouble, but you can rest assured that I will be back just as soon as I can negotiate terms for her release. After all, I've had dealings with his particular island before, so I at least know what I am getting into."

"Is it really that bad?" Martha sat up in the bed, not in the least bit reassured by the hint of strain in her lover's voice.

"That depends on your definition of bad," Lao replied with a nervous chuckle, "The magic that I am referring to is the sort that I do not relish having to face directly. The risk is not so much to my life as to everything that I cherish and hold dear, but...I'll explain at a different time, AFTER I free Lotus. Until then be happy."

With that the captain turned and left the chamber, her long stride conveying a sense of urgency and haste even more disturbing than the hint of genuine fear that had been in her tone and expression. Martha was in no way reassured by this and resolved to follow discretely, hobbled or not as she was by her chains, which were not even locked at the moment...

Nabiki had thought that she had already experienced a wide range of bizarre phenomenon during the past few days on the POJ, but the discovery that the ship had an "Observation Deck" certainly set a new level of weirdness. What it turned out to be was a reasonably large chamber along one side of the ship that had a wall that could "open out" to view the sea itself and the recently discovered island that appeared to have everyone so worked up into an almost party-like atmosphere. Even her own family members came to stand and stare along the railing as they looked out upon a rather undistinguished bit of land and lush foliage jutting up from the ocean, the only exceptional thing about this being the rumor going about that this particular island was...floating?

Of all people it was Ryoga who first voiced the odd question, "How can an island be floating?"

"A good question," offered one of the concubines...Mei Ling, if Nabiki remembered properly, "It does seem rather unlikely, doesn't it? After all, land is heavier than water, and the idea of an island that doesn't require a bit more land underneath it in order to remain above the water does seem rather far-  
fetched, don't you think?"

"That all depends," speculated another concubine...the full-chested Islander named Mangos, "There are many legends among my people of a land that moves through the water on the back of a great turtle, an island inhabited entirely by men, and this could be that particular island."

"Do you think maybe the place is under some kind of a spell, like the POJ?" asked Chow Mien, "I mean...it could be floating on some kind of substance that's lighter than water, like a flotation device or..."

"Heh," responded the worldly and cynical Nila Caulder, "The only flotation devices you need to worry about are the two that nature gave you...but then again, I've seen weirder stuff than a floating island."

"I don't like this," said the redheaded Lina, "Floating islands conjure up way too many bad memories for my taste..."

"Now Lina," her busty companion chided, "Surely you're not going to judge all floating islands by the standard of that one that had the hot springs..."

"Aiyaa," Shampoo murmured as she held Lylac close to her bosom, "No like feel of place...has very...bad vibes...no want go there..."

"I'm with you there, Cousin," Perfume agreed, wrinkling her cute button nose as if she were detecting a smell that was not to her liking, "This place fills me with a strong sense of...foreboding."

"Foreboding, Sugar?" Ukyo asked, holding her own child warmly in her arms while giving the place a peculiar gaze, as if sensing something disturbingly familiar.

"Weird," Ranma said, "More than weird...I feel this real strange feeling in the air, like the place is chock full of some weird kind of magic."

"You think everything's full of weird magic," Akane chided, turning to glance at Nabiki, "What do you say about this place, Oneechan?"

"I'm with the rest of you on this," Nabiki replied in tones that barely conveyed the degree to which the island was disturbing her...as if some part of her were calling out to it and resonating on a level that was definitely NOT kosher, "I don't like this place...I've got a real baaad feeling about it..."

"And well you should be concerned," said Madam Lao, who just then came to join them on the deck, "You are looking on Togenkyo Island, the one place in the Pacific that I would normally steer clear of if I had my druthers about it. Sorry to say, girls, but this place is off-limits to you. I won't be granting any shore leave for this one, though I may have to negotiate an exchange of prisoners with some of our excess cargo."

"Prisoners, my lady?" Keiko asked in alarm, "We have people out there who've been taken hostage?"

"That is what I am about to attend to myself," Lao replied, "Fortunately these Islanders tend to be a bit cut-off from normal civilization, so they will be in need of a great many things that I have to offer, such as food, fresh water, medical and dental supplies, raw and processed materials..."

"Women?" Ranma asked.

"That goes without saying," Lao nodded, but for once she did not sound so...dismissive of the subject and even winced a little before adding, "Mind you...I have extreme reservations about that. The people of this island have a...magical elixir that is perilous to most young women, and I would be reluctant to isolate a girl to their peculiar lifestyle. Still, a few women ought to satisfy them, particularly the ones I have in mind, who might actually go in for that sort of thing. At any rate I will be gone for a little while to attend to this, but I want you all to be on your best behavior and wait for me when I come back with our people."

"Let me see if I understand this right," Nabiki said drolly, "Some of your people were taken hostages, so...in order to free them you're going to offer up more of your people in exchange..."

"Exactly," Lao nodded, not smiling, "But on this one I'm strictly taking volunteers only. This is one assignment where I'd be reluctant to include my own worst enemy, if I had any who're still living. I don't expect you to believe this, but I'd particularly want to avoid including you and your loved ones on this mission...though I think Ranma might be the best able to help out...oh...and by the way, I see you've acquired another elemental alliance."

"Huh?" he glanced down at the changing tattoos on his left arm then said, "How did you...?"

"I have my ways," Lao winked, "You must have had a vision after your last great performance...it's been known to happen sometimes, especially when a martial artist becomes a Wizard."

"A Wizard?" Nabiki cocked an eyebrow, "Ranma-kun?"

"A Wizard is the next stage beyond the level of a Master," Lao explained, giving Ranma a frank look, "You've begun to expand your conscious awareness as to the nature of the real world...your training with the Kabala and the Elemental forms of your father's Senken school have opened your mind to new possibilities and levels of understanding, which is why you have begun to experience flashes and visions of the world beyond the physical senses."

"I have?" Ranma marveled.

"Wait a second here," Ukyo spoke up, "Are you saying that Ranchan had a vision in the middle of an orgy?"

"Yeah," Perfume agreed, "Doesn't all the sex get a little bit...confusing?"

"Not as much as you think, Cousins," Lao winked, turning a look back towards Nabiki, "Tell me something, Tendo-san...have you ever heard about the Epicureans?"

"Um...sort of," Nabiki frowned, "They were supposed to be some kind of Western idea about overindulgence...and their modern counterparts are those guys who specialize in fancy French cooking..."

"Actually," Kodachi noted, "The Epicureans were an Hellenic branch of philosophy that grew up as a counterpoint to Greek Cynicism during the later Hellenic era. The Romans adopted the idea of the Epicureans to justify a policy of gluttony and avarice, which tarnished the ideals of the philosophy, though in actuality their original purpose was a noble one...the liberation of the mind and will from the prison of our senses."

"Precisely so," Beatrice observed, "Originally the Hellenic world believed in the celebration of life and the indulgence in all that was good to the senses, back when they innocently viewed the world as a place where the Gods had granted humanity the bounty of Gaea. Then the Pelloponnesian War ruined the Greek economy and threw Athens into a state of disarray as the harsher rival state of Sparta took power and imposed a collective sense of pessimism and despair upon many of the great philosophers of that era. That gave rise to Greek Cynicism, the belief that the world was a very harsh and demanding place full of snares and illusions that could blind the physical senses and leave one destitute without a moral or ethical center. The Cynics held sway for a number of years by casting a pall on the whole notion of physical indulgence, insisting that one must strictly discipline the will through a policy of stoical denial, mortifying the senses by admonishing them and withholding one's pleasures to the bare minimum needed to sustain life..."

"Essentially true," Lao said, "Insofar as the Western concept of Aestheticism goes, the whole basis of treating the body like an enemy to the will, which is where Catholicism got many of its more warped ideals, but the Epicureans were the exact opposite in that they harkened back to the original Greek model of self indulgence...but with a twist that was truly ironic..."

"Indeed," Kodachi agreed, "Cynics thought that denying themselves the pleasures of the world would make them wise and stoical, but Epicureans believed that starving the body and the mind would only lead to a different kind of illusion. They believed in doing the opposite, of FEEDING AND INDULGING in the senses by consuming all that they could in life, hoping to eventually achieve a state where the mind reels from too much overstimulation and effectively shuts down the five senses of taste, touch, smell, feeling and hearing, thus opening the mind to the higher sense of the divine that they believe lies hidden within us."

"Say what?" Perfume replied, "You mean by eating and having a lot of sex they thought they'd become enlightened?"

"Heh," Alison sniffed, cradling her own baby in her arms as she rocked her back and forth to sleep, "That's Greek Philosophy for you. I had a bellyful of the stuff myself when I was growing up, but all those Epicurean guys ever amounted to was a bunch of fat Roman pigs who sat around on their asses eating until they puked up their guts, then eating some more until they got fat, dumb and lazy."

"Indeed," Kodachi mused, "They even invented the Vomitorium, a place where they could-as you say-puke up their guts between all-you-can-eat sessions in which they would sample the most exotic dishes in order to please all five of their senses."

"Actually the principle for which they were aiming was sound," Beatrice remarked, "If one learns to see beyond the limits of their senses they can indeed achieve a higher level of awareness..."

"Like through Sex?" Akane chimed in, happily grasping that concept.

"Precisely," Lao replied with a nod, "And what young Saotome here did was achieve the Tantric ideal of using sex as a launching platform for achieving a higher awareness. Cundalingi is the word that I would use here...the point where sexual energy rises up to the brain and charges the grey matter with the essence of life itself, forcing him to process information at a rate that he has never had to operate with before, the results being that he is starting to see the world in a way that is strange and new for him. In other words, my dear, Saotome-san, you have just started out on the road to becoming a great Sage in your own right...and possibly even something more beyond the fields you presently know, a vision of yourself as more than just a run-of-the-mill Martial Artist."

"You...think so?" Ranma blinked.

"I know so," Lao replied with a leer, "Why do you think that self-indulgence is the practice, philosophy and religion that dominates on my ship? We all aspire to become like you are now becoming almost without effort. The iron test-  
which you passed-is when you proved yourself able to go beyond your self-  
conception of gender definitions and embrace your feminine side...that was the proof that I needed to confirm my suspicions about you. You truly are the Adept who will one day take charge of his own affairs and become a true Wizard, one who will see beyond the Mara of illusion and understand the way the Universe works and be able to correspond with it in ways that you presently cannot even imagine."

"Wait a minute," Nabiki blinked her eyes, "Are you saying that you...?"

"Traveled the same path that your husband explores now?" Lao replied as she started to turn away, "Why do you think the two of you keep losing to me in a straight out fight? I've been where you are, I know the path you must follow. Perhaps you will make your own path and one day surpass me, but that will never happen as long as you both remain confined by the chains that are invisible yet effectively hobble you like the hardest of irons. We will talk some more on this subject when I get back, but...think on what I say and reflect on what you think you know. Things are rarely as they appear, Tendo-san, and if anyone should understand that, it is you, who have the power to see beyond her own perceptions."

"See beyond perception?" Nabiki blinked, "What the heck are you talking about?"

"She means that there is a part of you that understands what she is telling you without needing to be told her meaning," Beatrice replied, "It is that part of you that you need to learn to listen to more often, my dear friend, instead of blinding yourself to the obvious."

"What are you going on about now?" Nabiki turned to glance at her companions.

"She means that you really don't need us to tell you what the answers are here," Kodachi replied, "You already know, but you're not paying attention."

"Yeah, Nab-chan," Keiko sniffed, "Haven't you figured it out yet? It's so simple that even I've got it all put together."

"What are you guys talking about?" Ukyo asked.

"Beats me," Alison shrugged, "I have trouble figuring Beiko out most of the time anyway..."

"I think I understand," Ryoga murmured softly.

"You do?" Nabiki was both amazed and alarmed at the prospect.

"It's been bothering me for a while now," Ryoga said, "But...call me crazy...but I think that Madam Lao's been trying to tell us something all along, and we just haven't been listening very good. I think she wants to teach us something about life, which is why she's been going to so much trouble on our account. I mean...think about how she treated us our first time here...Ranma and me were locked up in cages, and the rest of you..."

"I get it," Perfume said, "Cousin Lao's not just doing this to have all kinds of weird, kinky sex with us...she actually must think of this as a kind of training."

"Aiyaa," Shampoo murmured softly, "Is some kind of Elder technique?"

"That's how I figure it," Perfume replied with a shrug, "You know Elders and their ideas about how to teach us advanced maneuvers. Compared with being tied up while hanging from a tree and slamming my body into a boulder in order to learn the Bakusai Tenketsu, or tied up in fish sausage and thrown into a pit full of-ahem- well, Lao's methods actually seem pretty gentle."

"Gentle?" Nabiki arched her eyebrows, thinking over her own experiences of the past several days.

"Is old Amazon saying, Airen," Shampoo replied, "That which no kill you make you better warrior..."

"Not to mention angry, bitter and resentful," Perfume added with a slight grimace.

"So...turning me into a girl...and doing that other stuff to Nabiki...it was all about training?" Ranma sounded and looked appalled at the prospect.

"That's how I figure it," Ryoga nodded, then paused to add, "What did she do to you, Nabchan?"

"Ah...never mind about all that, okay?" Nabiki said evasively, "What I'm more interested in figuring out is just what kind of sick lesson did Lao think she was teaching us with all this...perversity?"

"Maybe not letting yourself get so rattled by everything that's happened?" Akane suggested, "I mean, honestly Oneechan...you are getting way more upset than is called for here, don't you think? If you just relax a little and get with the program..."

"I don't want to get with the program," Nabiki replied, "I don't even want to be here...hell, I don't want any of you to be here, either! But if you mean that the way to beat Lao is to look at things from a different angle..."

"Couldn't hurt, right?" Ranma asked with a shrug.

"There is that consideration," Kodachi conceded, then paused before adding, "Perhaps...making amends as we did just now...was for the purpose of freeing up your minds so that you can now look at the larger picture with...fewer distractions?"

"You mean you screwing with my husband is supposed to make me feel less distracted, huh?" Nabiki sniffed.

"Well hey," Ukyo replied, "You were doing the same thing with Kei-chan here at the same time, right?"

"Er...well..." Nabiki winced, "That was different..."

"It was?" now it was Ranma's turn fix her with a raised eyebrow, "How?"

"Um..." Nabiki hesitated then said, "Well...Kei-chan was doing it to me..."

"And you were calling out her name...several times in fact," Perfume noted with suspicion.

"Ah...er..." Nabiki visibly sweated.

"This better be good," Shampoo said a bit archly.

"Now darlings," Kodachi said as she sauntered up to Nabiki with exaggerated hip motions, giving a saucy smile while flipping her ponytail over one shoulder in such a way that caused her to raise an arm and emphasize her moderately well-  
sized breasts, "Don't be so hard on your blushing bride...the fault truly lies with me. I was the one who seduced her husband...partly because I felt guilty about the way I've treated him in the past, but also because Ranma-kun has blossomed out into a very fine and talented example of manhood, making me regret those years when I took him and his interest for granted," she paused to put her arms around Nabiki's neck and give her the same moon-eyed, adoring smile that had worked so well with Ranma, "But in reality...I am also very much attracted to you...in both of your aspects, and I would be ever so grateful if you would allow me to make it up to you...by offering you free reign with my body."

"Urk," Nabiki's mind seized up, giving her a very good appreciation of how Ranma had reacted under the same breathy invitation, and the sensual overload that threatened to overturn her reason.

"Just a minute here, Kuno," Perfume said as she came up behind Kodachi, "If you want to make your apologies, Nabiki's not the only one you need to make amends to..."

"She means all of us...Sugar," Ukyo leered in a predatory manner.

"Rose Girl need convince Shampoo she sincere in apology," Shampoo added, "And Red apologize with for daring to play with Airen with no Shampoo permission."

"Somehow I knew that was coming," Keiko rolled her eyes, then shrugged, "Sure, why not? I'm always game for a little action."

"A little action," Ranma said, then gave a start when the smaller redheaded mage grabbed him by the arm and started examining it in detail, "Hey...what?"

"These runes," the redhead exclaimed as she examined the flowing scripture, "They're in an ancient script called Enochian, the language of the Elohim. I've read about it in ancient manuscripts, but I've never seen it grafted in a mobile form on a human..."

"Indeed," said her taller and bustier companion, "Those are the sign of an alliance between a human and one of the elemental races...but to do that you would have to be a highly accomplished Sorcerer, and by your aura I make you out to be an entirely different class of human being."

"A different class?" Ranma replied, "I'm just a martial artist..."

"A warrior who specializes in unarmed combat maneuvers, huh?" the redhead remarked, "Okay, Sohei, so when did you make contact with an elemental of the Third Rank?"

"Um...about an hour ago," Ranma replied, "It...was in a vision...but I got the other one in a fight with a Salamander."

"A Salamander," the taller Nagha replied, "You've combined an alliance with both a Salamander and an Undine?"

"Fire and Water?" Lina replied, "You've got to be kidding me! Those two schools are completely opposite to one another! How can you possibly maintain equilibrium between the two systems?"

"Well..." Ranma said, "Fire and Water may be of opposite alignment, but there is a lot of similarity in the two systems...in fact, I'm told they're mirror reflections, like fluid and plasma, or the two pillars of the tree of life...Mercy and Justice..."

"Mercy and Justice?" Nagha replied, "Is that what they're called in the system you studied? We know them as Strength and Judgement, and the middle pillar..."

"Is balance," Ranma concluded for her, gaining a very odd look from both his wives and the two foreign mages, a look barely reflected in his own apparent surprise as he thought the matter over then said, "One without the other is either Severity or Weakness...but the two combined with the whole of the Tree of Life..."

"Creates the Pillar of Wisdom," Nagha nodded, "I see that you are indeed a Wizard in training...a fellow adept who practices his arts with the courage of his heart as well as his fists. Well met indeed."

"Are you saying that Ranchan is..." Ukyo began.

"A Mage as well as a fighter?" Perfume concluded for her.

"Is thing possible?" Shampoo asked.

"Well...um...sort of," Ranma replied, then paused to say, "Ah...answer me something...you guys are the real deal, huh?"

"Are you kidding?" Lina said, "We're the best! Screw everyone else!"

"So...what happens if a...really super-powerful being were trapped up by a spell that bound it to serve a human for many centuries, only it got loose and...did something on its own that was very bad?" Ranma said, "Bad for everyone...like...the entire planet?"

"Hold on there," Lina said, "We're not just talking academically here, are we?"

"A being so powerful that it could terminate all life on its own," Nagha replied with unusual disquiet, "Even the gods do not wield that much power unaided."

"But that's because there are so many," Lina replied, "They divide the power between them so that no one god has more power than all of the others combined. It's much like with the Demon kind, and the Dark Ones who embody the negative energies of the Qlipoth..."

"Klipoth?" Nabiki mispronounced, "What the heck is that?"

"The negative reflection of the Tree of Life," Nagha replied, "It's dark shadow...a Tree of Negative Life energy, from which all dark beings draw their anti-strength."

"Then it's just like a body...only it's a dark Man, an enemy," Ranma frowned.

"Weeelll..." Lina drawled, "If you want to know the absolute truth, you're half-  
right, but the negative tree isn't totally wrong and evil...in fact, it's the source of a lot of really aggressive, destructive power, and if you tap into it just right you can make it a pretty effective weapon, almost an ally, without becoming totally evil."

"Lina here is an expert when it comes to destructive power," Nagha smiled, "Her Dragon Slave by itself can destroy an entire hamlet, while the Giga Slave, her ultimate power, has the potential of destroying an entire world."

"That's only if it gets out of control," Lina frowned at her haughty companion, "I mostly use it for taking out really powerful Monsters. The problem is...when you use magic that way it takes a lot out of yourself and it becomes hard to maintain a balance. You have to know what you're doing is right and have no doubts or hesitation. I've only known a couple of times when I've really had to use it. Why...you think there's a monster nearby who might need taking out?"

"Possibly," Ranma said, "But I'm not entirely sure...the Kraken is a part of something larger, and maybe without it there would be another kind of imbalance..."

"What in the hell are you talking about?" Nabiki said, "If she knows how to take down the Kraken, then we could free everybody on this ship from the curse they're under, including Lao..."

"Not necessarily," Ranma turned to his wife and said, "Don't you get it? That vision we had about the Kraken...and the rest of the ones who're just like it...it's all part of something larger, like a greater plan or something. We interfere with that and we could create the very thing we're trying to avoid. Besides...the Undines would all die, and there's no guarantee that anyone else would live happily every after."

"I'm not talking about everyone living happily ever after," Nabiki clenched a fist, "But if Lao didn't have that monster to draw upon in a fight..."

"There's another way of beating her," Ranma explained.

"Huh?" his wife blinked, "What do you mean...another way?"

"It all makes sense now," Ranma smiled, "I know what Lao's been trying to do with us...why she put us through all of this stuff...and what she wants us to do. I even know how we can beat her!"

"You do?" Nabiki asked, "But...how?"

"By playing her game to the hilt," Ranma said, reaching out to take her by both arms, "But neither of us can do it alone...I need you to do this with me...together, just like we started it out only a few days ago..."

"What?" Nabiki blinked, seeing a familiar gleam in his eyes, "You mean...now?"

"Hey, while the Tiger's away, the both of us can play, right?" he smiled, "Bad joke, I know...and look, you didn't even shudder that time, "Trust me on this, Nabiki...it's gonna work and we'll be doing this together."

"Together," Nabiki repeated, then slowly smiled, understanding at last the gist of what he was implying, "How do I know this isn't just some cheap excuse to get me back in the sack?"

"Heck, who needs an excuse to do that?" Ranma leered, "But can you think of a better reason than what I have planned?"

"At the moment...no," Nabiki returned his leer, "But if it gets us closer to beating Lao, then so much the better."

And with that the two of them linked hands together and went off in search of other parts of the ship, leaving their loved ones behind to speculate on their sudden enthusiasm for sightseeing.

"Well...those two look like they're going to be busy for a bit," Perfume remarked, breaking the silence, "Shall we go and join them, do you think?"

"No, Sugar," Ukyo replied, "Whatever those two plan, they'll do it better without us. Besides, we've got other fish to fry...ain't that right...Sugar?"

"Ah...well..." Kodachi said with a rueful expression.

"Where people go on ship to do stuff to each other?" Shampoo asked of the concubines with them.

"You mean the playroom" said a mustard-haired girl known only as Curry with a smirk, "This way, I'll be happy to show you how to use the equipment."

"Hey, I could have done the same thing," Keiko said, then shrugged and said, "What the heck...waiting around here isn't making me feel any younger..."

All at once the sorceress named Nagha started laughing, a hearty "Hohohohoho" sound that was followed by a haughty, "You young people and your games are so amusing. I might like to see your ideas of fun for myself, if you don't mind a little company in your private trysts."

"Sure thing," Perfume said, "But we'd kind of like to do this exclusive..."

"So you watch but no touch," Shampoo winked, "We have real fun with Red and Rose Girl. Is like peoples say, No get angry, get even!"

Again the sorceress laughed, much to the distress of her redheaded partner, and even Kodachi shook her head as they turned to leave, murmuring to herself, "Something about that laugh seems so familiar...it's almost scary..."

"Tell me about it," sighed Lina, who nonetheless reluctantly swallowed her qualms and followed after the trail of her nominal busty partner...

Continued.

Comments/Criticisms/Seele Project Schedules: shadowmane

Lao gets in over her head while Ranma and Nabiki explore their "alternate options," while the rest of their loved ones learn a little story about the creation of the universe, and we begin to learn more of why even Superheroes are wary about Evas. Be here next time for: "Neon Evangelist Zeigheist," or "How to Plot an Armageddon." Be there!

X

If you wish to check out my other works, Please check out my Fanfiction webpage at: . All related chapters of this series can be found there along with my other works.  
/pre 


	20. Chapter 20

preDNabikiTHCh20

Nabiki 1/2

"A Very Scary Thought!"

THE HONEYMOON HENTAI CHAPTERS!

By Jim Robert Bader

(Inspired by the works of Rumiko Takahashi Others)

Part Twenty.

HENTAI ALERT-THIS IS NOT A DRILL!  
ALL THOSE UNDERAGED OR OVERLY SENSITIVE TO STORIES THAT INVOLVE GRATUITOUS SEX MUST PROCEED TO THE NEAREST SHELTER, AND RUN, DON'T WALK, BECAUSE THIS WORK CONTAINS STUFF THAT WOULD OFFEND THE HECK OUT OF THE PRUDES AND PURITANS WHO LIVE IN MORTAL TERROR THAT SOMEONE, SOMEWHERE IS HAVING A GOOD TIME WITHOUT THEIR APPROVAL. YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED!

"My Lady!" a marine Sergeant announced rather suddenly, "We have found a clue...we have found-A Peach!"

"That's very nice," Lao said drolly, "Now put it with the others...about a dozen in all so far, and one for each member of the previous away party who is currently missing. I see the Prince hasn't changed his ways since the last time we paid this island a visit. Now, if only we can get their attention without having things degenerate into a fight, then we'll really accomplish..."

"My lady!" a scout reported, "There is a palace just beyond that ridge, and the entrance is heavily guarded, but we should be able to take them by stealth without incurring any losses..."

"Belay that," Lao said, "Recall your teams and regroup to this site. Let them make the first move, and nobody is to act without my permission, is that clear?"

"Yes, my lady," Sergeant Nakamura replied, barking out orders and making the appropriate handsigns to draw back their teams and form a defensive position in anticipation of...whatever.

"How long must we wait like this, my lady?" asked Marine Corporal Kue as her people waited nervously for something to happen.

"Not long I'm guessing," Lao replied, "They already know that we're here and by now they've had a good look at us, which means that any second now..."

"My lady!" one of the scouts pointed off to the side, "A shadow approaches!"

"Ah," Lao smiled, "Punctual as ever. Don't let the shadow touch you, and when it comes within reach be prepared to attack it with weapons only..."

All at once a woman to her left cried out as she dropped down into the ground as though swallowed where she stood. The rest of her people reacted to the perceived attack by stabbing out with spears at the offending shadow, only to hear a yelp of surprise as the missing mercenary was heard to cry out, "Hey, watch it!"

"Why doesn't anyone pay attention when I give a direct order?" Lao growled, and stabbed out with her cutlass, causing the shadow to jump back as it suddenly disgorged the girl, who landed sprawling in the sand, slightly shaken but no worse for wear, while a figure lithely darted back out of reach and manifested as a man-like figure that took purchase in a nearby palm tree.

"Whoah!" this figure cried, "You're quick! Not many could have spotted and thwarted me like that..."

"Fortunately I am uncommon, Sarutoru," Lao replied as she brandished her cutlass, "And I see that you haven't slowed down over the years since I last saw you..."

"Captain Lao?" the monkey-like figure dropped down to the sands, "It is you! I thought you looked familiar. My Prince, you remember Captain Lao the provider of many young girls to the court of your father..."

All at once there was a flash of light and then three more figures appeared, two of them flanking the third, who stood erect and noble for all that he barely came up to breastbone height to the others.

"Indeed I do," said a young man barely thirteen seasons old, "Greetings, Captain Lao...it has been a long time since you last paid a visit to our island."

"Five years to be exact, Prince...Toma is it?" Lao inclined her head, "You were barely knee-high to a stump, now look how you've filled out. Your father must be very proud of you...where is he? I should very much like to see him."

"So would I," the youth sighed, "Alas he has been gone to us for the past few seasons. I am Crown Prince now of this Island of Togenkyo and your host besides this. Now...how may I help you?"

"You have some people of mine in your custody," Lao answered, "I would like to get them back, in exchange for which I am willing to trade in goods and services. Whatever you like, Prince, just name it."

"Is that so?" replied Prince Toma with a smile, "Then I will ask that you and your people accompany me to the palace, where we can reunite you with your missing fellows. Your arrival is most fortuitous as my birthday is tomorrow and I am looking to choose a bride from the many candidates that I have already gathered. You are invited to participate in a friendly bit of competition that I am arranging...in fact, I insist."

Several Marines reacted very badly to the suggestion implied by the smile of the imperious youth, but Lao stilled their grumbling with a hand and replied softly, "You misunderstand something...I am a guest on your island and not one of the girls who are to be bought, sold or traded. I do not compete with others for the privilege of becoming a bride, even to the handsome likes of you, Sweet Prince."

"Well, I say you do," Toma replied, laying a hand to his side and adding, "And what I say here goes, do you understand that?"

Lao's eyes fell to the hip of the young Prince, or-more precisely-at the gourd that hung by his side and felt her hackles rise up at the base of her neck. She winced to herself as she considered the implications, then said to her minions, "Put them up, people! We're not here to start something, just finish it up. We'll do this diplomatic-like, just like I did with his father."

"Only not quite the same," Toma smiled, "I think you will find that I am somewhat...different from my father, with different needs, which I think you will be admirably quite well suited to handle."

At that Lao gave a nervous smile and suddenly realized that she had just stepped into something a lot more nasty than Tiger poop, so she silently sent a command out to one of her Undines, who relayed her instructions back to the ship and an anxiously waiting Blossom...

There was quite a lot more to making love with your wife than performing a simple "bump-and-grind-roll-over-and-go-to-sleep" routine that many husbands tended to think of as "foreplay." For Ranma the act of making love to Nabiki was tantamount to a martial arts match in which his skills and resources were called into play for the singular act of pleasuring her and giving his newly recommissioned wife a full-body, no-holds-barred all out pleasuring assault on her entire nervous system with a life-or-death intensity worthy of a major battle.

For her part Nabiki was far from an inactive lump of flesh laying on her bed and taking it like some sort of chore that she had to get through. The fiercely competitive streak that made her such a champion fighter would not allow her to lay still and make like a corpse, nor did she want this to be a one-way experience with her passively absorbing everything that her husband could dish out with meek acceptance of his manly prowess, so she tended to give back as good as she got on occasion, and even managed to excel in adapting to her own brand of Kamasenken, taking what she learned from him and adapting it to compensate for his male anatomy. Between the both of them there was a spirited, lively, affectionate competition to see which one of them could make the other yield first in the battle of love that lay between them.

For Ranma this experience was heightened by his recent experiences in knowing what female anatomy was actually like, something men usually had to guess about, even when aided by the comely services of someone as sensitive and adaptable as Perfume. The Amazon Enforcer was much too hypersensitive to be an accurate barometer of the effectiveness of many of his Senken maneuvers, she tended to over-react to his lightest caress and gentlest of fondles. A woman whose body was as well conditioned to withstanding pain as Nabiki's could only be measured on a much higher scale of tactile sensitivity, but now that Ranma knew what it felt like to be on the receiving end of his own techniques he could adapt his maneuvers to work even better on her anatomy, judging by her responses to his movements that he could measure by the slight tremor of her nerves, which he felt like a sympathetic resonance in his own body.

And so when he touched her breasts and lightly stroked around their edges he knew precisely how much pressure to use, exactly how long to take in order to mount those twin peaks and scale to their ultimate heights. He also knew that she was not as fragile as porcelain and expected him to use a bit of force to go along with the softness, and was very much a solid and compact mass of highly strung together nerve and muscle tissue, strong beyond the strength of a less conditioned mortal and quite resilient to his methods. He loved the feel of her in his hands, the press of her soft flesh masking the steely cables that lay just below that softness, and the resistance he felt when she pressed back against him. Her breasts were as soft as pillows yet as firm as the muscles that supported them and maintained their girlish shape. She was (quite literally) more than a handful and perfect in every way, exactly the kind of woman he needed to let loose upon his full intensity and ardor, knowing she could not only take his best efforts but respond to them in kind. It was an exhilaratingly sensual affair just running his hands over those delightful bosoms, and then running a tongue over her flesh and eventually suckling them as she groaned in heartfelt approval.

There was not an inch of her body that he did not love...everything from her face to her hands to the soles of her feet, every square centimeter of flesh and the muscle and bone that lay underneath, her entire person was like a tapestry upon which he wrote a song of love that resonated throughout her body. He could spend hours just working over her muscular legs as there was so much fascination to be found in their curving aesthetics, their heuristic algorithmic dimensions and complex muscular and neural arrangement. Running hands up and down her inner thighs brought such a shiver of delight that she could not hold back an approving shudder, and when he traveled up and down their length those legs could be a map of many wonderful places that he would like to pay a lingering visit, and everything he tried was good, and the more he worked those legs over the more Nabiki flexed and curled them to suit his caresses.

Her legs were certainly one of her most attractive features (and she had so many!), but the most fun for him always came when he got down to her feet and could take his time playing his trade against the neurons there, hardened and desensitized as they were by years of travel, they still yielded a delightful softness when recently bathed, and sucking on her toes was as much fun for him as it yielded such interesting responses from her lips. And besides which, she was surprisingly ticklish **down there,** a fact he never ceased to take advantage of when he had her at his mercy.

Of course for her part Nabiki found his body just as fascinating to go over, from his hard pectorals to the soft flexibility of his testicles to the delightful **firmness** of his erect and ready manhood, which she could never resist paying homage to whenever she was in the position, wrapping her mouth around his head and "going to town" by sucking him in and bobbing her head up and down until he was hard enough to break concrete with the thing. She considered his prick to be her own personal love-tool and made him very much **aware** of the fact that she regarded it as her personal possession, to be left in his safe keeping when not in use and only to be loaned out to other women when she gave her express approval. She seemed so convinced of the fact that his rod belonged to her that she was always trying to hide it inside her body (through any one of her three openings, though her preferences were oral and vaginal) and seemed intent on carrying it everywhere, and Ranma knew beyond question-if it were detachable-she would have put it in a handbag and carried it with her, to only loan it back to him when he had a use of his own for the randy thing. She seemed to feel that she was incomplete without his organ inside her, a view he liked to encourage just so long as it did not lead to thoughts of virtual castration.

Besides this, she also liked to turn the tables on him, having discovered that her husband had his own secret "ticklish" areas, a fact that she would tease him about every time she thought that he was getting a bit too cocky with her. It delighted her to apply her own intimate understanding of the male anatomy to working over his nerve endings, to give him back Tit-for-Tat the kind of sensual sweep that he used so well to drive her crazy. Ranma found himself on the verge of an explosion each time she went to work giving him a sense of what it was like to be made of some highly volatile mixture that reacted when shook in an incredibly explosive manner. She was just as like to want to rock his world in as many ways as he knew how to please her, and together they found their combined efforts to be VERY pleasing indeed, even as they coordinated their mutual assaults to build up a tension, or a kind of sexual energy, that raised a charge that filled both of their bodies with Chi like twin resonating battle auras.

In time their auras began to resonate together, their combined Chi forming a pool that flowed from one linking Chakra center to the other through the connection of his plug filling her socket. Ranma used this linkage to teach Nabiki a vitally important lesson about the Kamasenken...how one used the entire body as a tool to fill the mind and soul with life-giving vitality, charging all the vital centers at once and pouring them together like a stream through his loins into her body. It was not just the life-giving breath of semen that he shared with his wife, it was the essence of his soul that flowed into her and mingled with the vitality of her own body. For Nabiki it was like being a battery soaking up the alternating current that was flowing from him into her and then back again, from her body into his, increasing the power output the more they maintained their link together. Nabiki saw in her mind how those vital energy centers awakened all through her own body as she formed her own "Tree of Life" pattern to match his. What began as a mind-blowing ecstasy of climax turned into something truly mind-blowing as her head filled with the light of their combined spiritual and sexual awakening, and then she truly did become a part of him as the both of them shared souls and consciousness with one body vibrating in time to the rhythm of the other.

All at once Nabiki's highly sophisticated mind began to surge with expanded awareness and processing power, like a computer that had just gained expanded RAM space and Cache Memory with a faster CPU that allowed her to make billions of calculations in the space of one second. At once she understood something that she had never even imagined before about the Senkens and their true nature...how the body was more than just a house in which the soul could live but a Temple that could be a place of worship or abuse, depending on how one tended to view it. It all became clear to her just then how much her body had become a refuge in which to hide from the world outside, a shrine dedicated to the memories of ghosts long dead and buried, not even a proper tool of her will, just a place to hang up her sandals when her mind was otherwise occupied with thoughts of how to make enough money to secure her family's financial future.

With that clear insight she made another logical leap and recalled that the word "Economy" itself was derived from the Greek words for "Our House," meaning that the field of economics was itself an extension of the body in that one cared for it as a place where everything had to be orderly and kept in a kind of rough balance. The collective body of society lived by the rules of supply and demand, just as any body had to take in nourishment to sustain itself, and put out energy in order to keep the engines of industry going. A woman labored from dawn until dusk maintaining her home in a kind of working condition where everyone was fed and clothed and no one suffered from wanting whatever was essential to survival. The food and money consumed in this endeavor had to be used constructively in order to produce more raw resources for later consumption, like a single-celled organism that would wither and die if the right conditions were not met. She had tended to view her family (both the one she had gathered and the one that she was born with) as a holistic unit in which all members contributed their part to the general welfare, and now she could see that their unit was like a body with organs that needed proper care and maintenance in order to work properly together. To ignore any one part was to threaten the efficient workings of this ergonomic machine and take for granted the very things that made life so pleasant in the first place, the heart, liver, stomach and kidneys or the lungs that filled one with breath and kept everything else going.

And yet there was so much more to the workings of this machine than she had ever imagined. Her world had been too small, too tightly focused, too narrow to encompass the wider reality that surrounded them all. Ranma was the heart that held their family unit together, and he had been the one to first discover this larger universe, informing the brains of their family-Nabiki-of something vitally important that she had been missing until now. That was why he had been forced to grow so much of late, and why he now exceeded her in spiritual understanding on matters so vitally essential to their mutual survival as a unit. It was why he needed to share this awareness with her now, to make her once more fully a part of him, a part he needed every bit as much as she needed him. Through the linkage of their bodies he helped her to see the greater reality that lay beyond their physical senses, and so was able to show her how the Tree of Life blossomed in each of them, and how one could tap into its vital energies the way a tree taps into soil through its roots. With unfolding awareness came the greater understanding that they were not alone in their corner of the universe...that there was another intelligence that embodied the same pattern consciously studying them as if just waiting for them to notice.

This intelligence was ancient, wise in the ways of man and yet of an entirely different order of ascendance. It had a liquid mind that flowed from a stream of thoughts to abstract concepts that the human mind was not designed to grasp, and yet it knew that they were watching back as though expecting them to notice, and through this instant rapport they obtained a level of communication that was not otherwise possible between themselves and a mind so alien and vast that it encompassed an entire ocean.

Ranma and Nabiki it was like waking up to find themselves standing upon a rocky atoll that was barely projecting above the level of the waters. What was peering back at them was a single unwavering eye...an eye as big as the radio dish for a satellite TV system, and which was focused upon the both of them as if to imply a single word, "Welcome."

"Ranma-kun...?" Nabiki gasped as she clung to her man for support against the turbulent ocean, which threatened to turn her male at any second.

"I see it," he murmured back, and then, after pausing a moment he said, "Um...hello?"

[You have finally opened your minds to see], a voice that was not a voice at all replied, more like the eye was insinuating the thought within their heads.

"To see what?" Ranma asked, perceiving that the eye was attached to a body much larger than the POJ itself, gliding easily through the slate gray sees under a sky that was dark and cloudy with foreboding.

[To what minds and eyes do not see of their own accord, the eye implied with a look of knowing.]

"Oh," Ranma said, "Er...you wouldn't happen to be...?"

[What you call the Kraken.]

"Oh," he said again, "You're...communicating with us telepathically, huh?"

[You would not understand the term for this level of understanding. If you must call it anything, then label it as Implied Communication.]

"Right," Ranma said, feeling that the answer were somehow so obvious that he felt stupid for even asking.

"Implied communication?" Nabiki repeated aloud.

[What you call Telepathy is just another level of awareness that you Lilum share among yourselves, but that is simply the thoughts of one being resonating in time with the other. When two points separated by distance share a resonant pattern, then distance and space matter for nothing as the thoughts of one mind vibrate on a quantum level with the thoughts of another...]

"You sound just like Madam Lao," Ranma noted, feeling just as much out to see with all these complex technical terms flying at him at a rate that he had to absorb with some effort.

[My chief apprentice...and a very talented and adept mind that that, for a Lilum.]

"You mean...you taught Lao to understand you?" Nabiki marveled.

[On the contrary, it is she who has educated me in the ways of humanity, to which I was formerly a stranger. Of all those with whom I have formed a bond through the Covenant, she is the one who has come closest to understanding my nature. Understanding is essential to communicating with my kind...you Lilum have such small minds and a limited grasp of your reality that it is refreshing to encounter a mind that is capable of understanding me. Without that capacity my thoughts would not take shape in your thoughts and to you I would remain a mindless creature of primal creation and destruction.]

"Well...not to be insulting or anything, but...aren't you?" Nabiki asked.

[I am far more than you could hope to understand, my very being encompasses concepts that you would deem impossible, and yet I exist, composed of matter that is very different from your own and a spirit that is eternal. Think of me as you will, I am that and much more than you can know...]

"Right," Nabiki said, "That's pretty obvious. So...you serve Lao and do her bidding..."

[I serve the one who is the rightful master of the ship known to you as the POJ, but also known as the "Thousand Year Phoenix," bound by the Covenant that I forged with the mortal wizard known as Han Bolo at the time of my reawakening. Lao Kane is but the latest of a long line of servitors whose will I have amended, but she has come the closest of any to understanding and accepting the true me, which is more by far than what you see upon the surface...]

"More than that?" Nabiki replied dubiously, arching and eyebrow to infer her skepticism.

[What you Lilum permit yourselves to see is but the outer physical shell of my being, but my being itself is...]

"Excuse me," Ranma raised a finger, "But what is that word you keep calling us...Lilum?"

[It means the Children of Lilith, wife of Eve and partner to Adam, who forged the first covenant long ago...]

"Right," Ranma waved the rest of this aside and said, "Just answer me something...are you really as much of a monster as people say you are? I mean...do you really have the ability to destroy the world...?"

[Not destroy it...reclaim it. The Covenant of Man and Heaven has been broken, the trust imparted to your kind availed for not. I do not wish to bring about the destruction of your world, but I must obey my nature and the purpose to which I was born. It is a destiny programmed into my very being...I cannot deny my nature. Though I love humanity, if I were free from my pact, then I would be bound by the Covenant to destroy it through absorption back into the greater whole...]

"But that's awful!" Ranma exclaimed, "Sucking us all into some kind of void that we never even asked for...?"

[It is not to you whom the fault may lay, but to those of your race who have the power to change the world for the better yet who squander their potential and render it for nothing. Your leaders, those who are invested with the authority, who have the influence to bring change to the world, yet who value greed and material profits above the very earth that is your mother...the seas which gave you life...as I who live in those seas know well from directly witnessing the results of Lilum deprivations...]

"And what makes you fit to judge us for our shortcomings?" Nabiki asked, "Sure, we may have clowns for leaders, and even an Actor can be elected President of the United States, but we're not all about materialism and exploitation..."

[I well know this. My time as spent in service to a different Covenant has allowed me to learn what humans are like beyond your pale and petty surface emotions. I probe deep from the mind of everyone who has been linked to me and through their eyes have seen what life is like for those who live among you or on the fringes of human existence. The meek, the humble, the powerless and the petty, or the righteous and deserving, all human lives are beautiful to me, and I would see none of it wasted, save for those who have so greatly violated their own natures as to bring down upon themselves the tide of destruction...]

"You're not answering my question," Nabiki said, "Who gave you the right to decide whether we should live or die as a species?"

[The One who is of the Host and beyond even our understanding...the One who made us, whose Source Code I am not worthy to process...]

"You mean...Yggdrasil?" Ranma asked, wondering how he could even pronounce such a foreign word without stumbling.

[The World Tree is but the processor that multitasks reality as you know it. The One is beyond even the capacity of the Tree of Knowledge, it is beyond the understanding of mortal, immortal, god or Lilum...it is both our father and our mother, the One who came before time, and to whom all things return at their ending. It merely is, and because it wills things to be, I was created to fulfill my destiny, and unlike humans-who have free will and choice in their actions-I am bound by the Covenant to carry out my programmed function.]

"Which is?" Nabiki asked.

[To gather knowledge and preserve the memory of the earth as it was...to guard against the possibility of worldwide extinction brought about by forces other than Man...]

"Other than Man?" Ranma asked, "You mean like...something alien or...?"

[There was another before you who asked this question. He was born of another world yet was raised on Earth as one of you. He embodied the best that is within humanity for all that he was not fully human, and it pleases me to see that his children carry on his tradition. He asked if the end of Mankind would be fated to be at the hands of human beings or something alien, and I told him that it would all depend on the choices made by your species, and of the paradox that is my existence.]

"The paradox of your existence?" Nabiki repeated.

[That I may one day bring about the doom of humanity...but that I also have the capacity of preserving it against extinction. I carry in me the blueprint for humanity's restoration, for I have spent all of existence recording in my memories the accumulated weight of Lilum existence. Even when I slept this was my function, and when awakened by Han Bolo I was prepared to fulfill my function...]

"Wait a minute," Nabiki said with a sense of dread, "That was in the fourteenth century, right? The time of the Mongol Empire...but...also the time of the Great Plagues?"

[Precisely. Humanity was being ravaged by disease because another of my kind had also been prematurely awakened. Pestilence was upon the world, far more terrible than before, and two thirds of the human beings then alive were afflicted by his touch. Had the Plague not been stopped when it was then your race would have ceased to be, and I would have been compelled to fulfill my secondary function or restoring your seed from whatever was left among the survivors...]

"You mean...you could have saved us if things went any farther?" Ranma blanched, "So...you're not just some dumb monster after all...you have a purpose..."

[I was created long ago to fulfill my role in the Master Scheme, but not everything in life is programmed and certain. I cannot defy the will of my creator, though you can still act to preserve yourselves if you choose the correct path that your destiny may assume, Nexus.]

"Okay then," Ranma said, "If you're so smart and have all this knowledge, then why don't you show us what to do, huh?"

"Ranma-kun..." Nabiki looked to her husband with a hint of warning.

[I cannot show you what you must do...that is up to you to learn for yourselves, but...I can share with you a portion of my knowledge that may be of benefit in your quest of further enlightenment...]

And with that the eye opened wider and seemed to glow from within, and all at once Ranma and Nabiki found themselves being bathed by a light that reached within their very being and called to life the pattern of the Tree of Knowledge that was within them. All their Chakra opened as one to receive this inner radiance, and as reality inverted the minds became as one in soul and body, joined together for an instant as the light within became their world and filled their total awareness with a sense of universal being, of purpose and kinship that went well beyond the boundaries of their former existence, and in that instant they briefly touched the face of heaven...

"So...what is it about Monsters, and why do they want to destroy us poor humans?"

"It's what they do," Lina replied, "It's what they live for. They were created with the desire for destruction, and from the destruction they came, and that's where they mostly are headed."

"Now Lina," Nagha chided as she leered at her naked companion, "Not all Monsters are like that, as you well know. Your cute friend, Xellos, for example..."

"He's not my friend," Lina growled, "He's just some guy who keeps showing up whenever he feels like it, and he's really annoying...always going on about this or that, but when you ask him a direct question, what does he say but, 'It's a Secret!'" she mimicked the sound of a guy talking with a funny nasal accent.

"But what are Monsters, and where do they come from?" wondered Ryoga, who was trying very hard to keep his mind away from what he was seeing performed in the chamber before him.

Ukyo and Shampoo were having their way with Kodachi-no great surprise there-  
the Black Rose being stretched out between them on a rack that was presently pulling her as taunt as piano wire while both Chef and Amazon took turns teasing, toying and tickling her to distraction. Off to the side Akane was helping Perfume out by playing with a Keiko who was dangling by her wrists from a bar that was hanging from a chain supported by a winch that was dangling from the ceiling. Given all of that-and other assorted games being carried out within this oddly named "Playroom," it was amazing to Ryoga that he was not sporting a massive nosebleed.

"Well," Lina replied as she and her companion remained on the sidelines with those others not presently engaged in friendly games of torture, "If you want to know the absolute truth of the matter...the Monster race was the original spawn of the primal Abyss...they're much older than humanity, and some are far more powerful than even the Gods. There's a legend that the world itself was created from the body of a Monster...a great giant as big as you can imagine who got taken out by the Elder Gods when they were spawned from Titans, another race of giant monsters..."

"I believe that I have heard the legend of that on our world," Beatrice remarked, "In the Norse religion it was believed that creation began when fire and ice met and collided, creating a warm valley, and from the melting of the ice came the first of the Frost Giants...and a great cow who fed him from the milk of her udders..."

"A cow?" Alison arched a crimson eyebrow, "Oh puh-lease! Everyone knows that Chaos was the first of all the Titans and the source of everything..."

"In the Hellenic system of your mother, perhaps," Beatrice smiled, "But to the Egyptians the swirling maelstrom of the great sea was filled by Ra, to the Chinese the world was called into order by the Celestial Emperor Shang-Ti, while in Japan the great god Susana-O dipped his trident into the sea and produced the Japanese Islands..."

"Ah, religious conflicts," Nagha smiled, the one who presently was most enjoying the...enthusiasm of the young girls currently applying the services of a feather to the naked skin of the tautly stretched Kodachi, "How refreshing to know that the traditions are carried on in this world as they are in the world we call home...'

"But a Sorcerer can't get involved with all that stuff," Lina said dismissively, "We study the Power and its origins in order to master it, and we can't get mired down with any single personal belief system. In all religions there's one consistent pattern that we know how to interpret...that it all boils down to a primal beginning where the Monsters once held sway over the world, until the rise of the Gods and Heroes, who established the physical rules that govern our existence."

"I see," Beatrice mused, "Rather like the ancient Sumerian Legend of Tiamat, the Dragon of Chaos, who was slain in battle by the God Marduk to create the world as we know it, a theme common in many mythologies that see order as arising from original chaos."

"Wow, that sounds just like the legend of the Hellmaster," Lina remarked in surprise, "Only in our version of things, the first of all Monsters got divided into four parts who became co-equal rulers of the world in the ages before the Gods became powerful enough to tame them. Then one day the monsters had a falling out, in a time we call the War of the Monsters Fall, about a thousand years ago, when the rise of the Gods created the opportunity for mankind to crawl out from under the monsters' shadow..."

"Actually Monsters are still fairly common in our world," Nagha remarked, "But we Sorcerers have our ways of keeping them in their place, and Lina here has taken out more than a couple in her times..."

"Hey, it wasn't like it was easy or like I make it my hobby or anything like that," Lina insisted, "It's just that Monsters can't seem to leave well enough alone...Hellmaster himself pushed me to the brink and caused me to open myself up to the Mother of All Night, and that's NOT an experience that I'd like to repeat anytime in this incarnation..."

"But the basic concept is that the Earth itself is a monster," Alison pointed out, "Why is that so much better than thinking of it as a creation of the Titans?"

"Oh, no reason," Beatrice replied, pausing to smile at the sight of Keiko being lightly fingered by an amorous Perfume, "Unless you count all those times that Gaea and Zeus had it out over the way he treated her monstrous children..."

"Well, Great-great-great grandma is a little peevish about that," Alison shrugged, for once missing the signs of her partner's "scoping out" the competition, "She had a falling out with her husband over locking up their children in Tartarus, and when Zeus did the same thing after the Titan war to everybody who fought on the other side, it-kind of got on her bad side, know what I mean? That's why she sic Typhon on the gods in the first place."

"Ah yes...that," Beatrice nodded sagely, "How could we forget the event that brought us back together? Which reminds me, I wonder how Ukyo's other baby is doing on Monster Island?"

"Monster Island?" Lina wondered.

"Yeah," Alison nodded, "Here we keep our giant monsters mostly confined to one government-sponsored island where they can roam to their hearts content without stomping our cities flat and lowering property rates in the suburbs."

"What a novel concept," Nagha remarked, "A theme center where monsters roam freely in their natural environment. You could actually make such a place into a tourist center, charge rates for people to see the monsters in protected tram lines..."

"Are you kidding?" Lina snorted, "Who'd pay good money to see that?"

"Somebody already tried that once," Alison winced, "It...didn't work out."

"Because some greedy fool sabotaged the security system and let the monsters out," Beatrice shook her head, "Some people will do anything for money..."

"I know," Nagha nodded sagely, "Take Lina, for example..."

Lina grit her teeth and growled, "Keep it up, you're just asking to get fireballed..."

"I wouldn't recommend that, Lina dear," Nagha chided, "Remember, those Undines are keeping an eye on you, and if you so much as start to summon a spell they will effectively drown you. Besides, cold iron inhibits your powers as effectively as mine...and do you really want to cast a fire spell in the middle of a wooden vessel?"

"Ah...good point," Lina winced.

"And besides," Ryoga spoke up, "We have children on board, and I don't think their mothers would take too kindly to seeing you set their home on fire."

"A...very good point," Lina conceded.

At that moment their attention was drawn back to the fun going on in the room as Kodachi gave a muffled cry (as coherent as one can be with a ball-gag stuffed in your mouth) while Ukyo pried off the layer of wax that had hardened atop of her body, the product of three candles that had been employed in a "drip-drip" molding session that they had just been concluded. Ukyo held this paraffin cast up for close examination, then turned to one of the attending girls and asked, "Can I get a cast for this to take home as a souvenir?"

"Sure," the cheerful concubine replied, "Would you like it in bronze, brass or silver?"

Meanwhile Akane had just been introduced to a piece of exercise equipment that the concubines recommended very highly...a modified form of a stationary bike with the seat boasting pair of projective prongs which moved in time with the pedal motions...something that the locals called a "Bicycle Hump," and to which Akane was proving to be an enthusiastic convert. As she pedaled on the device she started making all sorts of motions that sounded a lot more intense than the usual panting and grunting. Even Ryoga found her increasing tempo to be highly impressive and it would doubtless take off a few kilos of excess fat at the rate that she was going.

"Hooboy," Alison remarked, "This place really has a way of bringing out the pervert in almost anyone...except for you, Bei...you're enough as a pervert as it is."

"Thank you...I think," Beatrice winced slightly, then murmured to herself, "I have the sneaking suspicion that-before we leave-I will be experiencing some of the pleasures of this chamber..."

"Count on it," Alison said with a knowing expression, "Good thing they have a great daycare service here, because we're gonna be busy for a bit..."

All at once Breeze came into the room, looking around before saying, "Where's Ranma and Nabiki? I've gotta find them..."

"They're not here," Ryoga replied, then paused before adding, "Aren't you a little...young to be here?"

"Why?" Breeze asked without seeming to comprehend the question, "It's just adults doing mushy stuff. Look...I need to find them quick...my Mom's been taken hostage!"

"WHAT?" that statement brought the entire room to a screeching halt as everyone-  
-both guests and concubines-turned to look in the young girl's direction.

"Your mother's been taken hostage?" Ryoga said with a blinking of his eyes, "You're kidding, right?"

"No," Breeze replied, "I heard it from one of the Undines, who was making a report to Blossom and said that Momma was taken prisoner by the people of Togenkyo..."

"Togenkyo?" one of the concubines reacted, "You mean the island of Men? The ones who have that special potion that can turn women permanently into men?"

"Say what?" Alison reacted.

"An elixir that can permanently change one's gender to the male persuasion?" Beatrice replied, "That's...very disturbing..."

"Worse than disturbing!" Breeze said, "I don't want my momma to turn into a guy! And I don't want her marrying some guy who's not much older than me!"

"What?" Ukyo said, coming over to join them, "Your mom is marrying a Tadpole your age?"

"Prince Toma?" another concubine asked, "You must be joking! He can't be much older than thirteen, and his father wouldn't approve of such a thing...not when he could buy him some women to practice and train with..."

"But they say his Dad is dead," Breeze replied, "And that means he has to marry someone to carry on the line...you know how these Island Princes work!"

"Oh yeah," said Mangos, "I was born on an Island, remember? I know how they work...every Prince thinks he's a king of his own court, and most of them can't even get it on with their good right hand..."

"Why are you taking this so bland?" cried an angry blonde who came storming up from the other end of the playroom, "Someone's taken the Captain, we need to get her back! And we need to teach this little Pecker to go play with his toys and only play with the big girls when he's grown up and ready! And if anybody tries to stop us we DEMASTICATE them and their fathers!"

"Um..." Ryoga asked, "Demasticate?"

"What was that?" Ranma asked as he and Nabiki came into the room.

"Someone kidnap cousin Lao," Shampoo replied, "Is prince of Island of Men who want her for husband..."

"Really?" Nabiki beamed broadly, having that glow of one who had just made out like a bandit in the sack, "Well, remind me to send my congratulations to the happy couple..."

"This is serious, Nabiki-chan," Perfume replied, "Our cousin is in trouble."

"I am serious," Nabiki affirmed, "And he can have her if he wants her, and good riddance."

"You can't be serious about that, Oneechan," Akane protested, slowing down the pace of her self-service pumping, "She's the captain of this ship..."

"So?" Nabiki replied, "So everybody gets a promotion, starting with Blossom, and everything that goes with it."

"You can't seriously mean that we should just sit here and ignore this, do you, Sugar?" Ukyo asked.

"Yeah," Alison said, "You don't mean to say we should turn our back on this, right?"

"Watch me," Nabiki said firmly.

"Nabchan," Ranma frowned, "You know we can't do that. No matter what you feel about her personally, she's the captain of this ship...and you know what that means."

"Such as the fact that this vessel will not likely go anywhere without her permission?" Beatrice remarked, "I have been paying attention here, and I believe that I have mostly figured out the details behind her link to the Kraken."

"That worries me," Lina frowned, "Having a link to a Monster is no simple thing...for most people it can have some pretty negative consequences, like if the Monster is the type who exploits their pact to make the human side do its bidding..."

"Never mind all that," Ryoga said, "I want to know what that word 'demasticate' means."

"It means to eviscerate, Ryoga-kun," Kodachi replied, having been let up off of the rack and now vigorously massaging her wrists and (somewhat abused) body, "But in the context that is stated, I take it to mean something closer to castration."

"Yeah, that," said the temperamental blonde with an angry scowl, "The guy who tries to pull something with the Captain without her permission deserves to have his balls tied off and hung off the yardarm!"

Ranma swallowed thickly and involuntarily crossed his legs, noticing that Ryoga had already beaten him to the punch there, and even Nabiki was covering her privates as though in sympathetic disquiet.

"Kind of aggressive for one of Lao's girls, ain't she?" Ukyo remarked.

"Oh, that's Maki," replied one of the other concubines, "She's not a concubine, she's one of the Mercs with the Marine detachment. She used to be a cop in Japan, but she kind of had a problem with authority figures, know what I mean?"

"You shut your face up or I'll gag you myself," the blonde named Maki snapped, "It was just a misunderstanding, and the guy had it coming! So what if they took my badge and kicked me off the force? I've done all right for myself, and all because the Captain believed in me and gave me another chance!"

"You mean she kidnapped you and brought you on this ship but decided you weren't concubine material, so she put you to work in a job that fits your talents, eh?" Perfume speculated.

"Well...that's one way of putting it, I suppose...but..." Maki shrugged.

"Never mind!" Breeze spoke up again, turning to Ranma and Nabiki, "You've got to help me! Momma ordered Blossom not to do anything, she wants us all to sit tight and let her handle things, but I'm worried! I don't know if she can handle this...not when she could get turned into a guy or be forced to marry a kid..."

"I don't know about the guy part," Nabiki said, "But it sounds like poetic justice to me..."

"Airen," Shampoo replied, "Is said that island people have water that turn you into guy. Shampoo no want to see Airen lose girl half...you no go to island, let Ranma do this."

"Water that turns you into a guy...permanently?" Ranma exchanged worried looks with Nabiki.

"Sounds pretty horrible to me," said Keiko, who also had been released to join them, "No offense, guys, but I kind of like being female. Besides, I already have one curse as it is, and that's more than enough for my liking."

"Indeed," Kodachi agreed, "Becoming masculine is no more my desire than yours, Kei-chan. Could it be that the threat of such water might be behind the captain's abduction?"

"That would sure do it for me," Perfume admitted, "And I'd bet anything our cousin is terrified of getting doused with the stuff. Can you imagine what it might do if it combines with her other curse?"

"Aiyaa!" Shampoo winced, "Could turn cousin into giant Tiger man...is too horrible to contemplate..."

"A T-T-Tiger...man?" Nabiki's eyes went wide and a look of horror crossed her expression.

"Uh...Nabiki?" Ranma touched her arm, "You gonna be all right?"

"Ah...yeah...I'm fine," Nabiki swallowed, "But you're right...we cannot let that happen!"

"You bet we won't let it happen," Akane declared, "We have to get Captain Lao back if we want to get home, right, Ryoga-kun?"

"Er...well..." Ryoga winced, "I suppose that...kind of makes sense..."

"There's a problem," said Mangos, "The captain gave us a direct order not to leave, and we cannot leave the ship without her permission."

"You mean YOU can't leave!" Maki declared, "I'm not letting the lady who writes my paychecks get taken out of the picture, and neither with the other girls in my detachment!"

"But Blossom is your commanding officer," noted a concubine named Jasmine, "And we all know her well enough that she would never sanction a rescue mission that was in strict violation of the captain's orders. She's trained to obey her will, just like the rest of us..."

"You mean you're trained to obey her," Maki sniffed, "If I worried about stuff like that I'd never even be here in the first place! I'm mobilizing my detail...the Bush Lickers of Unit 409 won't stand by and do nothing while some freaks on an island have their way with our captain!"

"The Bush Lickers?" Nabiki blinked, then shook her head and said, "Never mind..."

"Can't we convince Blossom that this is enough of an emergency to bend the rules a little?" Ranma asked, "After all...if anything does happen to Captain Lao, and the Kraken winds up without a Master to restrain him..."

"That...would be bad," Nabiki slowly avowed, "But still..."

"Please?" Breeze asked, looking up at the pair of them with eyes that were full of petition.

Nabiki found it hard to meet that gaze with her usual aloof cynicism, while Ranma just smiled and patted the sex-changed girl on the head and said, "Just leave it up to us...we'll have your mother back in no time."

"We will?" Ukyo seemed surprised by this declaration, "You feeling all right, Sugar?"

"Never better," Ranma said, "Nabchan and me just had a little...revelation that helped put everything in perspective, right Honey?"

"Well..." Nabiki said reluctantly, "Let's just say that I think I understand Lao a little better...but the whole idea of riding to her rescue...I mean...you've gotta be kidding me!"

"Is old Chinese saying, Airen," Shampoo replied, "Life sucks sometime, and then you Hentai."

"Couldn't have put it better myself," Perfume nodded, "So...when do we get going?"

"Soon I hope," said Martha Kent, who just then came striding into the room without any chains encumbering her body, "I've just had a look over the place and I have to say...it's not too encouraging."

"What do you mean, Sis?" asked Alison, who had just taken notice of the fact that her older half-sister was charged up to her normal level of power.

"There are about one hundred men guarding the palace," Martha explained, "And about that many women being guarded in a secure part of the structure...nothing I couldn't take on by myself, of course, but Lao...isn't with the others. In fact she seems to be spending time in the personal chamber of the Prince himself..."

"Lao's with a thirteen year old kid?" Ryoga winced, "That's...pretty perverted...even for her..."

Martha shook her head, "It's not like that at all...in fact, she seems to be playing a dress-up role of some kind. I talked with her briefly but she asked me to stay out of this. I think she has something in mind for the boy, but I don't know precisely what it is...she wouldn't tell me."

"So why don't you go in there and bust her out?" Ranma asked, "After all, if you're a Super Woman..."

"That's Power Woman," Martha corrected, "Superwoman is somebody else. Always be mindful of trademark in this business."

"The point is," Nabiki said, "That you could probably just waltz in there and ignore anything they tried to do you, unless they have weapons tipped with magic."

"Actually I'm afraid the weapon that the Prince keeps by his side is weapon enough," Martha replied, "Lao told me the water could turn me into a man if I get near enough for him to toss it on me. That's partly the reason why she seems to be acting so nervous around the Prince, she doesn't want to lose her sex forever."

"Plus there is the fact that they have so many hostages to take into consideration," Beatrice noted, "Among whom are the captain's captive crewmates."

"We gotta bust them out of there!" Maki declared, "Nobody messes with our crew without paying for it in spades! Besides, it's been ages since I've had a good excuse to really bust loose..."

"Are you nuts, Burn Up?" Keiko asked, "If you go in there with all guns blazing people are going to be hurt, including our missing crewmates."

"Right," Nabiki said, "We need a strategy to infiltrate the place...soft penetration, get a few of our people inside the building and take them while they're unawares, free the prisoners and convince this prince guy to let us go quietly and all that..."

"Soft penetration," Esmeralda smiled, "I love the sound of that..."

"But Blossom still won't permit anyone to land on shore and risk this," a girl named Wendy pointed out.

"Yeah, she can be a real tight ass sometimes," noted another girl named Alice, "But when it comes to the captain's word, she's a regular wuss."

"A beauty and beast situation," agreed another girl named Belle, "She's like a leopard with us but a lamp around the captain."

"Let me worry about that," Nabiki smiled, "I think I can persuade her to see reason."

"Kei-chan and I can enter the palace without being observed," Kodachi duly noted, "And once inside we can do a quick recon, give you others some idea of the layout..."

"I can draw you a map of the place from memory," Martha noted, "But you girls can get a message to the others that help is on its way."

"Then it seems we have no choice but to execute a rescue," Beatrice noted, "Perhaps some of us might even pose ourselves as bait to lure the guards into lowering their guard and possibly even allowing us into their midst without conflict."

"And just who are you volunteering to do this?" Alison asked her in suspicion.

"Keep in mind one thing," said another dusky skinned girl named Numa, "The guards will attack anyone who is male but treat us females as though we were escaped concubines whom they carelessly allow to wander free. Women are an extreme rarity on this island and thus valued beyond our weight in precious metals, so those who don't wind up the property of the island's prince will likely be given to the guards as a present."

"Right," Perfume grimaced, "Like we'd let that happen?"

"Hmmm..." Ranma frowned, "You know...I think I know a way of getting in there...it's risky, and you'll probably all think I'm nuts for even suggesting it but..."

"What have you got in mind, Ranchan?" Ukyo wondered.

Ranma turned to look at the concubines then asked, "You guys got any more of that Instant Nyaniichuan laying about...?"

Some minutes later found a shore party landed on the beach, and a worried Blossom shaking her head as she said in dismay, "I can't believe I let you talk me into this...the Mistress will mount my head on her wall placard..."

"That's only if we're successful," Nabiki turned to look dubiously at Ranma, who was presently a bit...shorter than usual, not to mention redheaded, "And I can't believe that I'm actually letting you do this..."

"Hey," Ranma-chan shrugged, "It's only temporary, right? And besides, at least I don't have to wear some dumb outfit like they gave to Ryoga."

"True enough," Nabiki said reluctantly, turning a look towards where Ryoga stood uncomfortably in a leather suit that seemed somehow appropriate for Lao's dungeons. She herself was wearing something that more closely approximated a Harem costume (or would have it Lao's harem included any clothing, however risqué) while the others not part of the basic plan...

Well...Frederick's of Tokyo might owe them a cleaning bill when this was over. They were all decked out in leather that exposed a lot of flesh to open view and hinted suggestively of a private life that found whips and chains to be in fashion. The mercenaries seemed quite at home in the gear, including the trigger-happy Maki, who was fingering a big rifle-shaped gun that she brought with her as though it were her most prized personal possession. The rest had more traditional hand-to-hand style martial arts weapons and seemed to handle them as if they knew their business...though Nabiki privately wondered about the abundance of whips and paddles among the crew, convinced without saying as much that they would not exactly meet with Elder Cologne's approval.

"Don't worry so much, Ryoga-kun," Akane tried to sound reassuring, "I think you look great in that outfit, so manly, so handsome, so...so..."

"Stupid?" Ryoga glanced down at himself with a despairing expression.

"I was going to use the word distinguished myself," Kodachi pleasantly admired his profile.

"Yeah, Stud," Keiko playfully chided, "Now you look like a real man, the kind who ride Akane hard like there's no tomorrow."

Akane beamed happily at that prospect, which made Ryoga feel-if anything-  
even more nervous than before, but he was committed to play his role as part of the secondary rescue party, and since the style of dress was clearly meant to infer a "whips and chains" mentality...

"You gotta hand it to Lao," Ukyo remarked, looking quite fetching in her own "Harem" costume, "When she wants to set the mood she really goes all out."

"At least I've got my axes back," Perfume patted her seemingly bare hip with a confident expression, "And-if worse comes to worse-I brought your favorite bakers peel to lay down the law with these cousin-nappers."

"What would I do without you, Perchan?" Ukyo beamed back with affection.

"Okay, we know the plan," Ranma-chan said matter-of-factly, "We're a detachment of Lao's women sent into effect ransom negotiations and to serve as a kind-of-  
bribe to the Prince to make him think about releasing the captain. Assuming they don't chain us up or search too closely for hidden weapons, then we ought to make do, and no problems."

"Right," Ukyo said, "So...explain to me again why you're going in as a female?"

"Yeah, Ranchan," Perfume noted, "You're not going funny on us, are you, Airen?"

"Hey, I'm a guy, so this sex-changing water stuff doesn't threaten me as much as with you, all right?" Ranma-chan said, "Once we find the girls I'll use this hot-water flask to turn me back into a guy and then we'll bust out of there before they know it. It's you guys who are taking the risk here, and I don't have to say it that I ain't exactly happy about that."

"Ranma no have to tell Shampoo that he worried," Shampoo scowled at Nabiki, who appropriately winced, "No happy with Airen who maybe lose womanhood forever. You want be guy all time, Nabiki?"

"No," Nabiki replied, "I don't want to lose what little I have left of my true sex, but I don't intend to let myself get splashed either. You guys do the same job of keeping out of harms way...I wouldn't want to see any of you turn male prematurely."

"What do you mean prematurely?" Keiko asked, "I wouldn't want to be male in the first place."

"Indeed," Kodachi noted, "Being a Ferret Man holds no great attraction...which reminds me, Kei-chan...we ought to be about our business."

"Right on that," Keiko said as she unstoppered a flask and poured it over Kodachi, then over herself as the two of them vanished into their cursed forms as a Vulture and a Ferret.

Perfume allowed Ukyo to pour cold water over her body and shifted immediately to cat-form as Nabiki pointedly looked the other way and tried to count backwards in Mandarin from one thousand.

"Okay guys," Ranma-chan said, "Do your things."

A squawk, squeak and meow signified their "Espionage Team's" determination (Nabiki naturally shuddered on the last part) then a flapping of wings and a scurrying off later, the three cursed teenagers took off in pursuit of their objectives.

"Weird," Martha shook her head, "I can't believe what I just saw..."

"Me neither," Lina agreed, "And I've seen stuff that would make your hair curl. Take Nagha here for an example...""

"Why, whatever do you mean, Lina dearest?" replied Nagha, who-like her diminutive partner-was now properly dressed in her regular wardrobe (which Nabiki privately thought of as being only one stage removed from bondage wear in itself), "We are part of the back up team for this rescue mission, and that means we wait for a signal before we launch our assault on these miscreants who dare detain our goodly captain."

Blossom shuddered and softly moaned, "This is a mistake, I just know it...I should never go against the will of the captain...she'll never forgive me for this..."

"Get a grip on yourself already," Nabiki snapped, "Don't you have any spine? Do you want to be a boot-licking slave to your Mistress forever?"

"Well...yes," Blossom replied, then in a more serious tone she added, "You don't understand...all of my life I've looked up to my Mistress, even when Lotus and I were children she was our role model and guiding inspiration. We defied the will of our own Elders in order to help her win her child back, and we have never regretted our choice. She is our friend...our Captain...our Mistress...and I would be devastated and lost without her..."

"To say nothing of where you'd be without Lotus," sniffed Maki, who was visibly fidgeting under the restraint of having to be part of the "back-up" crew, along with the rest of the hard-bitten looking women who formed her marine "detachment."

"Why don't you calm down and take it easy here, Lieutenant?" Xiong-Fu asked sweetly, dressed herself as a harem girl and clearly playing the role of a non-  
combatant, "I've brought along some tea if you'd like..."

"No thanks," Maki gritted her teeth, "Caffeine makes me irritable, but if you've got any beer..."

"We left the sake back on the ship, and it stays there," Blossom said firmly, "I'm in enough trouble with the Mistress as it is without juicing up your team to full Kamikaze status."

"Sadist," Maki grumbled.

"Hope you guys don't mind that I'm tagging along for this," noted Nila Caulder, "An island like this sounds like it's right up my alley."

"Just don't do anything to tip our hand too soon," Nabiki cautioned, and if anybody looks like they're going to be tossing anything at us..."

"Right," Nila agreed, "I'll freeze it before it can even get halfway to us."

"See that you do," Alison remarked, "Good luck, you guys...I'd be with you, but I got a kid of my own to look after. But if you send up a smoke signal, then you can expect to see me come battering down the gates to show these creeps who means business."

"Indeed," Beatrice mused, "And I will be there beside you...of course it would have helped if we could have enlisted the services of your niece and her girlfriend, but..."

"Oh yeah," Nabiki mused, mentally recalling the sight of seeing Joan Wayne hitched up to a harness and giving a "ride" to an enthusiastic Lila while some girl named Palomina gave some encouraging instructions in how to handle a "Pony."

"They do seem to make a happy couple, don't they?" Martha mused with what sounded like a surprising note of approval.

Alison eyed her in open dismay and said, "I'm starting to get seriously worried about you, Oneechan..."

"All right," Ranma-chan said, "Then let's move out, and make sure those guards at the gate can see that we're just a harmless bunch of innocent looking girls come to sell ourselves and..."

"I'm coming too."

"Say what?" Nabiki rounded on the speaker, who was none other than a determined-  
looking Breeze, "No way..."

"Yes way," Breeze declared firmly, "They've got my momma in there, and I'm going to help bring her out."

"Absolutely not," Blossom shook her head, "If the Mistress will be upset with me for allowing a rescue mission against her orders, she is going to absolutely crucify me if I allow any risk to befall you, her chosen heir..."

"You can't talk me out of this," Breeze said, "And besides, I'm a martial artist too..."

"No one's questioning that about you, little Mistress," Xiong-Fu declared, "But the guards are not likely to mistake you for a concubine...no offense intended..."

"Hey, I'm not risking anything more than him," the girl pointed at Ranma-chan, "And I'm going anyway, even if you try and stop me."

"Wow," Akane said, "What an attitude on that kid..."

"Still," Kodachi mused, "One has to admire her spirit..."

Blossom put her face in one hand and silently moaned, "I can't believe I'd doing this...I'll be scrubbing the masthead from top to bottom for weeks when the Mistress finds out about this...assuming she doesn't tie me to it herself..."

"Don't torture yourself, Commander," Jasmine said with an affectionate smile, "Let me do it for you."

Ranma-chan led the way while Nabiki, Ukyo, Shampoo, Akane, Xion-Fu and Nila started forward, with Breeze hovering back before darting forward at the last minute and shadowing these others. Martha folded her arms over her chest and softly murmured, "Good luck."

"There goes a very brave man," Beatrice mused, "Well...sort of..."

"You ask me, Saotome's taking this new fetish of his a little far, doncha think?" Alison sniffed, "Assuming this Instant Nyanniichuan really is a temporary deal."

"Oh it is," Blossom replied with a nod, "We use it all the time when we want to get our girlfriends pregnant...of course you have to remain in male form for about two hours before the semen become fully active and..."

"Uh...ooops," Jasmine blinked.

"Oops?" Maki looked at her, "What do you mean, 'oops?'"

"I was just wondering," Jasmine fretted, turning to Blossom and asking, "Are you sure we gave him the right vial, Commander?"

"Of course I'm sure," Blossom replied, "It came from the Captain's personal supply cabinet..." she froze for a moment, then said, "Um...I hope that doesn't mean..."

"I'll have to go back to the ship and confirm if it has the right label," Jasmine swallowed, "But if it turns out to be the **other** kind..."

"Other...kind?" Alison blinked.

"Oh dear," Beatrice softly murmured.

"That would be kinda bad, huh?" Maki winced.

"Extremely," Blossom paled, then rolled her eyes and gave a silent petition to her ancestors not to judge her too harshly, because it was like that she would be paying them a visit in the very near future, especially when either the Mistress or their chief guests found out about what was **really** in that water...

On the whole it was looking to be a very interesting day.

Continued.

Comments/Criticisms/Instant Gender Issues: shadowmane

Have Ranma and Nabiki bitten off more than **they** can chew in this, and are they really going to risk themselves to come to the rescue of Captain Lao, their nominal "hostess" of perverse pleasures? Is the fate of the Lilum-uh-I mean humanity-truly hanging in the balance, and what fiendish plans does Prince Toma harbor for our dear, illustrious Captain? Find out next time in: "Bridal Training from Hell," or, "How to Arrange a Man-Eating Plant for your Garden!" Be there!

X

If you wish to check out my other works, Please check out my Fanfiction webpage at: . All related chapters of this series can be found there along with my other works.  
/pre 


	21. Chapter 21

preDNabikiTHCh21

Nabiki 1/2

"A Very Scary Thought!"

THE HONEYMOON HENTAI CHAPTERS!

By Jim Robert Bader

(Inspired by the works of Rumiko Takahashi and Others)

Part Twenty-One.

HENTAI ALERT-BET YOU NEVER THOUGHT TO SEE THIS WARNING AGAIN! INSPITE OF BEING OFFLINE FOR TWO WEEKS DUE TO A VIRUS THAT SOME IDIOT HACKER WROTE, WHICH DESTROYED ALL OF MY DOCUMENT AND TEXT FILES, I AM BACK ONLINE AND BACK IN THE ACTION, SO IF ANY OF THIS "NAUGHTY" STUFF OFFENDS YOU, EXCUSE ME! I WRITE WHAT I LIKE AND I HOPE YOU ENJOY IT, BUT IF YOU DON'T, THEN READ SOMETHING ELSE. THIS IS FOR THE PERVERT IN ALL OF US, AND IF YOU CAN'T HANDLE THE PERVERSION, THEN GET OUT OF THE KITCHEN! THIS MESSAGE WILL SELF-DESTRUCT IN TEN SECONDS (just Kidding!) YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED!

(My apologies, the original intro was eaten by the Virus, so I have to make do, and my mood is in no way improved by the thought that the Virus author might have been someone deliberately setting out to target people like me, who like a little harmless Sex in my diet, and Holy Roller types make me itchy...)

Being a guard on duty for the Prince was a great honor and a privilege that a man born to palace life should have felt thrilled about enjoying, but the plain truth was that it was a dull and tedious obligation under even the best of occasions. There was not really that much point to it, after all, being that the Island was so isolated and remote that few visitors even came by that way, and fewer still of the common people, who mostly enjoyed their humble lives at the pleasure of their prince. Not many in their right minds would come to see his Highness without an express invitation, so it was not exactly as though being a guard at the gates was all that demanding an occupation.

Of course the presence of the outlanders did change that status somewhat, but with their captain in tow it was unlikely that there would be any trouble from that lot. Of far more interest were the "guests" of the Prince, who were of PARTICULAR interest to every male citizen of the Island of Togenkyo (which, admittedly, was the vast majority of the island's population). The Prince was due to choose a bride from among the women who had been gathered for that purpose, and women being as rare as arable landspace in Togenkyo, it was only natural that interest levels ran so high among those fortunate few guards who had been left in charge of safeguarding the future harem.

Of those two guards who were presently standing watch over the front gate, Natanyo shared with his companion, Dro, a personal desire to see and "inspect" these women on an "up close and personal" basis, having only on a few occasions even been close to a woman, let alone close enough to inspect them and determine what it was that made them so unique and different. Natanyo had vague memories of having known a woman before...his mother...back when she WAS his mother, before the **change** inevitably happened that took her away from him so long ago. Now all he could remember were his fathers, just like every other man who was native to this island. Such a pity that...and he would very much like to have known what a woman was...if only to procreate, which was another kind of duty that he and his fellow guards would inevitably owe to his Prince and his people.

As boring as guard detail was, one hardly expected the monotony to be disturbed for any particular reason...so...when the strangers approached his position, he and Dro quite naturally came to full alert, the very novelty of the visitation itself providing amble reason for a sudden increase in their mutual interest level.

The reason being-quite naturally-that the party approaching them was entirely **female.**

Both guards knew this as an absolute fact, for they were very different from men in the way they were constructed, being thinner and lighter in body with curves in places that a man did not curve in...exactly, especially in the chest region. The way that they were...dressed (to use an incorrect euphemism) also displayed their distinctive differences in gender, and their...hair...and eye...and mouths with lips much fuller and lusher than a man's and...

What was that? The lead female of the group was speaking to them, and it sounded something like, "Excuse us, please...we're here to see your Prince. We understand that he's looking for a few good ladies, do we fit the bill, do you think?"

"Hah?" Dro said intelligently, not being one who was too swift on the uptake when it came to unexpected situations.

"The Prince...is a busy young man," Natanyo snapped to attention, if only to prevent himself from automatically gawking like an idiot at these women and their HIGHLY attractive features.

"Oh," said a short girl with reddish hair done up in a braid, "I think he'll make time to see us. After all, we're a delegation here to see him about our captain. I'm sure you won't mind if a few more girls are added to his harem, right?"

The leader-a slender female with short brown hair, eyed her redheaded companion with mild annoyance before saying, "Right...a few more girls may be just what your boss is expecting...ever think about that?"

"Just let us in already!" said another girl who looked to be much too young to be in such a colorful group, though her hair was a light powder blue coloration.

"Um...well..." Natanyo replied, intelligent responses not being a part of his job description.

Fortunately for his sense of ease a voice from behind the guards' back said, "What is the meaning of this? Who are these...women?"

"My lord," both guards immediately bowed, "They say they are from the Pirate ship and wish to pay homage to Prince Toma."

"You don't say?" said a masked individual in a curiously ornate feathered costume, who was himself accompanied by an ape-like individual and a virtual man-mountain who took up a goodly portion of the front gates all by his lonesome, "Do I take it that you are to be more prospective brides for his highness...?"

"That's right," Nabiki said before Ranma-chan could open her mouth, "We're a small delegation of girls come to pay our respects to your mighty Prince, and since you happen to have Captain Lao in your custody..."

"You're members of Captain Lao's crew?" the man-monkey said with a surprised expression, turning to his masked colleague and saying, "Prince Toma would be disappointed with us if we left any of these prospective brides out of the selection process."

"Perhaps you're right," the masked servant replied, "Very well, come along inside, we'll have you properly outfitted, then you can join the rest of the bridal candidates in the waiting chamber before the great gathering in which one of you will be chosen to be the future bride of Toma."

"Future bride?" asked Nila.

"This just gets weirder and weirder," Ukyo remarked.

"Shampoo no think this good time to bring up question, but what is small boy-  
king want with bride?" the Amazon asked, "Even Amazon no wed so early."

"I'm sure there must be more to this story than what we are hearing," Xiong-Fu murmured at the level of a stage whisper, "But why don't we go inside and take advantage of their generous hospitality? That way we can be closer to finding the whereabouts of the Mistress."

"Right," Breeze nodded, "We gotta get in if we're gonna find my mother."

"You think Captain Lao will be waiting with the other girls?" Nila asked.

"I don't really know," Xiong-Fu replied, "But wherever the Mistress is, I'm sure there will be plenty of mischief going on, so why don't we see for ourselves, shall we?"

"Makes sense to me," Ranma-chan replied, "Anybody got any objections?"

"Would it matter if I did?" Nabiki grumbled, "I'm the one who's least in favor of finding her, remember?"

"Don't forget, we need her if we're gonna get away from this floating Island and its half-pint Casanova, Sugar," Ukyo said as she followed the rest of their small party into the castle.

"I know," Nabiki grumbled, "Don't remind me already..."

"Right this way, ladies," the masked man said, waving a feathered arm as the big man-mountain moved out of the way to allow them passage. Nabiki and Ranma led the way with the rest of their little group falling into line, all the while aware that they were being watched by the other members of their makeshift rescue operation, who were hanging back out of sight by the beach with the rest of their landing party.

"All right, Lieutenant, they're in," said Jasmine as she stared through her spyglass, "Looks like the plan is working...so far."

"Good," Maki said as she continued stripping-down and cleaning her favorite rifle, "Let's just hope the other team can reconnoiter the place and connect with the main group before we raid the party."

"I can't believe I let myself get talked into going along with this," Blossom shook her head in faint dismay, "The Mistress will tan my hide...twice! I've never gone against her orders like this and to let her daughter be a part of this...I just know that she'll be angry, even if everything works as planned, which I seriously doubt!"

"Calm yourself, Commander," Beatrice urged, "We have a plan of action that has a good chance of successful outcome, we had best adhere to it and hope that Nabiki and the others will come through during this crisis."

"Easy for you to say, Bei," Alison remarked, "We're safe out here on the outside, but what I wouldn't give to be in the middle of the action."

"What you might very well give is your womanhood if you run afoul of Prince Toma," Jasmine softly chided, "This island's waters are dangerous to our sex and if we press our luck too soon it may endanger the hostages...our fellow crewmates and even the captain."

"Maybe so," Ryoga balled a fist, "But I hate this waiting, and what do I have to fear from this water? I'm already a man, and I'd rather be in there with Akane and the others."

"Easy there, Big Guy," Alison urged, "I don't like waiting around any more than you, but we gotta keep cool and wait for the signal to go in there, right Bei?"

"Indeed," Beatrice replied, "We have a plan, better to stick with it rather than improvise at this point. If Nabiki and the others are truly in need of our aid they will find some way of informing us...but until then we hold back and stay as much out of sight as we can around the natives."

"That probably is a good idea," Blossom remarked, "But I wish I could be certain...this is the first time I've ever gone against the will of the Mistress..."

"We know," Maki complained, "You've been telling us that over and over again for the last fifteen minutes."

"Well, whatever's gonna happen, it'll probably be soon," Jasmine remarked, continuing to peer through her spy glass, "Because something must be happening with the Captain and the other women...there's way too much guard activity on the outside for my liking, but I think it's mostly to keep people inside, not out."

"Won't matter either way," Alison smiled, "We've got aerial support on our side, and Big Sis will give a yell if she sees anything that needs out attention."

"I just hope that no one inside the palace detects her," Beatrice remarked, "Or it might make an already difficult situation even more tricky."

"Don't worry," Alison replied, "Martha's a professional...she was doing this before any of us were born, remember?"

"I just hope you are right about that," Blossom averred as she scanned the clouds for a small human form flying high about treetop level, peering down like an eagle on high, which was somehow comforting in spite of it all, though the blue haired Pirate would have paid dearly to know what was happening to her Mistress, to say nothing of Lotus, her much-beloved partner...

"Here you are," the man-monkey named Seratoru said as he indicated the ornate door to a certain chamber, "You can select your wardrobe from in there. Choose anything you like and then you will be presented to his majesty as prospective brides for his selection."

"Choose?" Ranma-chan asked, "What's wrong with the get-ups we have on now?"

"What you have on is certainly quite fetching," the feathered masked man replied, "But hardly suitable for presenting yourselves before his majesty as proper bridal candidates."

"Ah...what she means is that we thought we'd already come prepared to greet his highness as is," Nabiki hastily pointed out, "But if you think we could be dressed more suitably by what you have to provide, then we'll certainly take you up on your generous hospitality, right Ranko?"

"Ranko?" Ranma-chan blinked, "But..."

"Ranma-honey, I think she means we go on like there's nothing wrong with being offered a change of wardrobe, get it?" Ukyo asked.

"Is true," Shampoo also agreed, "And maybe we find nice dress Ranma like wear?"

"Oh yeah," Akane grinned hugely, "We can even play dress-up, and you can be the dummy."

"Word on that," Breeze smirked in agreement.

"You're enjoying this, aren't you?" Ranma glared at her companions, including her nominal "wives," with obvious suspicion.

"Don't know what you mean, Ranchan," Nabiki said with a half-hidden grin, leading the way into the wardrobe room, whereupon she and the others immediately halted to take stock of the merchandise upon display.

"Whoah," Nila exclaimed aloud, "Check it out..."

"Where did they get all of this stuff?" Akane marveled.

"Stolen, probably," Xiong-Fu remarked, "Or acquired at random from whatever stops this floating Island has made over the course of its many travels."

"I still can't get with the idea that this place is supposed to be moving around like a ship," Ukyo remarked, "I mean...islands are pretty notorious for not doing stuff like that, right?"

"When in Hong Kong, get used to the food, Ucchan," Nabiki reasoned, "Well, no sense just standing around, might as well pick something out to wear. Ranchan...no offense to you, but I think you might need a few fashion tips from us girls here."

"Hey, you won't get any argument on that out of me," Ranma-chan assured them, "I'm no good at this stuff, remember?"

"I know," Akane continued to grin in a manner that made Ranma feel increasingly nervous, "This is going to be fun!"

"Uh...wait a minute..." Ranma-chan blinked, "You don't mean...?"

Fifteen minutes later.

"I don't believe it," Ranma-chan said, glancing down at herself with a dumbstruck impression.

"You aren't the only one, Sugar," Ukyo marveled.

"You look absolutely gorgeous," Akane exclaimed, and for once her voice and expression did not seem quite so sarcastic.

"Aiyaa," Shampoo averred, "Is too bad is only temporary...Ranma is more womans than most womans...is very nice to look at."

"Hah?" Ranma-chan blinked, looking up from the revealing green dress that she was wearing, with her long red hair undone from her usual warrior braid and set out into a luxurious pony tail, tied in place by a pink ribbon, with ruby high-  
heeled slippers showcasing her slender feet to excellent effect, the overall sight of which had even Nabiki unselfconsciously drooling.

"Whoah," Nabiki said aloud as she looked her transformed "husband" over, "Ranchan...you definitely would turn heads in most corners...you look positively stunning."

"Hey, wait a minute, you guys!" Ranma-chan protested, "This is just a disguise, remember?"

"Some disguise," Nila mused, "I know some friends back home who'd kill to have killer looks like yours, girlfriend."

"Not you, too!" Ranma-chan protested.

"I don't know what you're complaining about," Breeze said as she looked herself over, "Most of these get-ups are for grown-ups, and I don't even have your kind of figure."

"Take it from me," Xiong-Fu remarked, "There are worse things to be considered besides stunning and gorgeous...but it you're afraid of losing your manhood in that disguise, keep in mind that your wives will still accept you either way, right?"

"Oh yeahhh," Ukyo replied, "No problem with that."

"Shampoo is no complaining," the Amazon leered suggestively.

"Long as it is temporary," Nabiki had to shake her head to free herself from the mesmerizing effect that Ranma-chan presented, "Okay guys...everybody suit up and make yourselves look like Princess material. We're going out there to scout the lay of the landscape, and if we can distract the guards into lowering their defenses, then it's all to the better for us."

"I'm with you on that," Nila replied, "Unless a guy is Gay, there's nothing that can stupefy him more than a nice piece of tail waving in front of him, and a drooling idiot makes a pretty convenient stooge in my book."

"I like the way you think, Cute Stuff," Xiong-Fu meaningfully bumped hips together with the dusky skinned detective, earning a curious look with a promise of a spanking in the air from Nila.

It was another fifteen minutes later that the group exited the room, finding their three mismatched guards standing watch for them, with all three male expressions undergoing an almost comic transformation as they took in the sight of seven radiant beauties bedecked like lingerie-clad royalty in outfits as expensive-looking as they were revealing and flimsy.

"Well, big boys," Nabiki deliberately thrust her chest outward and winked in a meaningful way, "Are you going to show us to your Prince now that we're ready to greet him?"

"R-R-Right this way," Seratoru replied with a slightly shaky edge in his voice.

"We'll conduct you to the guest quarters," the masked man assured them.

"Hooo?" was all the burly big man would offer, and Nabiki could have sworn-had this guy possessed a tail-it would have been wagging like a dog's, because his tongue was certainly lolling in a canine-like manner.

"Just take us to where the others are already," Breeze insisted, earning puzzled looks from the trio of colorfully clad guards, who obviously wondered why someone underage was present with these grown women.

As they followed their guard escort to the designated "guest chambers," Ranma leaned in close to Nabiki and growled, "Do you have to flirt like that? Geez!"

"What's the matter, Ranchan?" Nabiki smiled back, "Are you jealous?"

"Jealous? As if!" Ranma-chan huffed, then growled, "And how the heck do you walk with these stupid things anyway?"

"It takes a certain amount of practice," Akane cheerfully explained, "But you should get the hang of it in no time, right? After all, you're always saying that about your martial arts..."

"Martial arts are one thing," Ranma-chan complained, "But with these stupid things I feel like I'm about to twist my ankle...huh?"

"Here you are," Seratoru indicated another set of ornately carven double-doors, "Right through here you will be left to wait upon the Prince with the others."

"Others huh?" Nila mused, "Now we're definitely onto something..."

The doors opened but the room so indicated had somewhat muted lighting, forcing the party to crowd in close by the entrance in order to see inside there, and what they saw and heard-not to mention the scene that greeted their nostrils-  
-was enough to make them collectively balk and take renewed stock over the entire bizarre situation.

The first sensation which greeted them were the sounds of many women groaning, grunting, panting and moaning together while writhing on the pillowed floor in various poses of sensual repose, and all of them to a woman were stark naked. As their eyes became more accustomed to the soft candle lighting within it became apparent that they were looking upon the set of the largest all-girl orgy that any of them (even Xiong-Fu) had ever witnessed, with close to a hundred girls in all caught in the throes of passionate lovemaking and not a dry pair of thighs to be found within the whole building. The scent of Poontang was heavy, like perfume, and gave clear evidence of the many climaxes which had been experienced within the space of a the most recent few minutes.

"Whoah," even Akane sounded dismayed at the raw sight of so much active writhing.

"I don't believe it either, Sugar," Ukyo marveled.

"That makes three of us," Ranma averred in a slightly hoarse manner.

"Hmph," Breeze sniffed, much less impressed than the others, "It just grown up stuff like you see all the time on the ship..."

"Honey," Xiong-Fu said appreciatively, "Even we never had a party this frisky..."

"Aiyaa," Shampoo remarked softly, "Is like time when Le-Mon steal potion from great grandmother and use to spike festival wine at harvest feast two season back. Shampoo too young to take part in make-happy, but hear loud groaning in morning before Elders chase Le-Mon into hiding."

"I don't think I need to know the details," Nabiki averred, "But how did something like this get started?"

"That's what I'd like to know," the feathered masked man remarked, "What are those girls doing to each other down there?"

"It sounds almost painful," Seratoru remarked, "Should we send the guards down there and have them break things up?"

"Not unless you want to render them unfit for duty for the next several hours, assuming the girls don't lynch them outright," Nila cautioned.

"Got it in one," Xiong-Fu grinned, "I know my crewmates, they get nasty when someone tries to interrupt their fun. This is what inevitably happens when you try and coop them up for too long, they get bored, and then they get horny."

"Hooo?" the big bruiser asked with a most perplexed expression.

"Whatever," the masked man growled, "Wonton, show the ladies in, but whatever you do down there, be ready to greet the Prince when he summons you in another full hour."

"Whoo," the big man used one of his massive paws to push Nila forward, causing her to act like a human domino in a chain reaction that sent the rest of the girls tumbling forward, all of them landing in a heap upon a set of pillowed divans that were waiting right below them.

"OW!" Ranma-chan complained at the bottom of the dog-pile, "Would you guys get offa me already?"

"Sorry, Sugar," Ukyo apologized as she and the rest of their party got up from their mass landing, slightly bruised and battered but otherwise no worse for the landing.

"Wow," Nila remarked as she felt her own sore bottom, "This place looks even more risqué up close...oooh!"

"Just relax and leave the rubbing to me, darling," Xiong-Fu urged as she put her hands to work rubbing up and down on Nila's brown hindquarters, "We have another hour to wait, yes? So, we might as well settle in and enjoy the accommodations."

"Are you serious?" Nila asked as she felt those hands to up to surround her from behind, then watched as Xiong-Fu began to undo the ring-latch that bound her breasts together, "Um...well...maybe it wouldn't hurt to relax a little..."

"This is nuts," Ranma-chan scanned around, "Everybody's making out like there's no tomorrow..."

"I repeat," Breeze sniffed, "Hmph."

"Hey, if one of these girls is going to wind up as somebody's bride, can you blame them?" Akane asked.

"Good point, Sugar," Ukyo sniffed, "Might as well take one last stab at the single life while you can, huh?"

"Meow?" a feline voice inquired with a particularly arched tone, causing Nabiki to flinch by reflex.

"Cousin Perfume?" Shampoo glanced down, "You is here too?"

"Of course," Nabiki remarked, "We sent her and the others ahead to scout out the premises, so she must be reporting back. Shampoo...you still have the canteen?"

"Of course, Airen," the purple-haired Amazon replied with a sultry expression, reaching into the gulf between her substantial breasts and pulling out a metal container, which same she unstoppered before pouring the contents over the cat, rendering her instantly back into a full-figured naked woman.

"Airen," Perfume growled dangerously, "What was that line supposed to mean about the single life?"

"Huh?" Ukyo blinked, then got suddenly very nervous, "Er...nothing, Per-  
chan...honest!"

"Excuse me," Nabiki interrupted, "Not that it isn't entertaining watching Ucchan squirm her way out of that last line, you do have something to report for all your scouting?"

"Sure do, Chief," Perfume replied brightly, "This place is huge, but it was easy for me to scout out in my Neko form, and I've managed to determine a few important things that I thought you all should know about."

"Well, don't keep us in suspense already," Ranma-chan growled, "Spit it out!"

"I intend to," Perfume paused to give Ranma the lookover, "By the way, Airen...nice outfit. You look good enough to eat..."

"Ahem," Nabiki said pointedly, "Your news already?"

"Right," Perfume amended, "Well, first off...as you probably already know, there are no other women on this island besides the ones you see right here in this room. These girls were mostly found, kidnapped or stolen here from other islands or from anyplace where the Prince's minions could happen to find them. Total population on the island itself is less than a couple of thousand people...about a hundred guards make up the Royal muscle, with a few elite members-whom you've already met-forming the core of the Prince's retinue. The thing is...there are more old men here than young children, and young men don't have wives on account of this Island's sacred treasure, the man-changing water."

"Man-changing water?" Ranma-chan repeated.

"It's like Nanniichuan, only it's permanent," Perfume explained, "One dash of it and a woman will turn into a guy forever. The Prince used it to intimidate these girls into playing along with his wishes...if they don't agree to present themselves as his brides he turns them into guys, and they stay that way forever."

"No wonder Lao was scared of him," Nabiki frowned, "But why should she be afraid of this stuff if it's water? She ought to be able to render herself pretty much immune to the stuff..."

"My guess is that it's because it's the Magical kind," Perfume replied, "And from what I hear about Mages, they only have power over stuff that doesn't have a strong resistance. That must be how she got the Tiger curse in the first place...and besides this, she has another reason to be leery of Prince Toma. Among his many titles, the guy goes by the name of 'Prince of Illusions.'"

"Prince of Illusions?" Akane repeated.

"In other words," Nabiki said grimly, "He could hurl this water at her and render it invisible so Lao can't sense the attack before it gets her, right?"

"That's my reasoning," Perfume affirmed, "Kodachi and Keiko-chan are still investigating the matter, but we've determined that those special guards you met are examples of this man-changing water...I heard one of the guards say that they used to be common house pets."

"You mean...they aren't really human?" Ranma blinked.

"That's right," Perfume acknowledged, "The big guy, Won-Ton, was a dog at one point...the Seneschal named Seratoru was a monkey, and as for the guy in the mask..."

"Let me guess," Ukyo said, "He used to be a parrot?"

"Something like that," Perfume nodded, "So I guess the reason I came looking to find you was to warn you about not touching the water...at least without checking. Wouldn't do to have any of you turn into a guy permanently, especially you, Ucchan...though in Ranma's case..."

"Right," Ranma smiled, "I won't be bothered. Just leave it to me in case that Prince tries messing with any of you girls."

"That's reassuringly chivalrous of you, Ranchan," Nabiki remarked as she turned her attention back to the writhing hordes of writhing female bodies, "But, in the meantime, the question I'd like to know about is...what is Prince Pansy gonna do with all these women?"

"Yeah," Akane said nervously, "Not exactly like he can marry all of them, unless he wants to keep them around for entertainment..."

"I don't think even the Prince knows the answer to that," Perfume remarked, "But I can tell you one thing for certain, Cousin Lao is with him and not with the rest of these women."

"Huh?" Ukyo blinked.

"Cousin Lao with Boy Prince?" Shampoo marveled.

"TENDO-SAN NABIKI!" a new voice cried as Nabiki suddenly found herself being embraced from behind by a pair of strong womanly arms, "Thanks the GODS you've come to our rescue!"

"Aunt Lotus?" Breeze asked, almost as surprised to see the pink haired Lieutenant as Nabiki.

"Hey, what...?" Nabiki tried to free herself from the glomp, surprised at the more-than-familiar way in which those hands were squeezing her bosom.

"I was so worried, I didn't know what to do!" protested Lotus in distressed tones, the pink-haired ship's officer sounding more than a little upset about the matter, "When the Captain was led off from the rest of us and we were left here to wait for hours..."

"Do you mind?" Nabiki grunted as she tried to dislodge those hands, "Hey...watch what you're squeezing there! I'm not an orange..."

"Oh, sorry," Lotus let her go, "Guess I got carried away...that was reflex."

"Reflex, huh?" Ranma-chan glared, "And that makes it all right for you to play with my wife, huh?"

"Saotome?" Lotus blinked before looking her over, "What happened to you? You look...very nice..."

"Ah..." Ranma winced slightly.

"Nothing much," Akane shrugged, "The Baka just used some instant Nyanniichuan so he could sneak in here without looking funny."

"Instant Nyanniichuan?" Lotus said with a disquieted expression, "W-Where did you find it?"

"In the Captain's room, Lieutenant," Xiong-Fu replied from where she was busy molesting an all-too-willing Nila, "Why do you ask?"

"Er...how much of the powder did you mix when you made that potion?" Lotus wondered.

"Huh?" Ranma blinked, "Powder?"

"You mean...you didn't..." Lotus swallowed.

"Eh?" Xiong-Fu asked as she was in the process of straddling Nila over one of the pillows, "You mean you didn't have any of the pre-brewed kind sitting on that shelf?"

Lotus shook her cherry pink hair very slowly before answering, "No...that wasn't the Instant Nyanniichuan either...that was the permanent kind...the Mistress's own private supply. One dose of that and you'll have the sex-changing curse forever."

"WHAAAAATTT?" Ranma burst out with an entirely dismayed expression.

"It was Blossom who fetched it for you, didn't she?" Lotus asked before rolling her eyes, "I've warned her a hundred thousand times about reading the label when she takes potions out of the Mistress's bedchambers..."

"Are you saying that Ranchan is now cursed to be a girl...just like I'm cursed to turn into a boy?" Nabiki rounded on the petite Amazon officer.

"Um...that depends," Lotus cowered a bit.

"Depends on what, Sugar?" Ukyo asked.

"On whether you'll beat me up or not if I answer," Lotus shivered slightly.

"You mean...Ranma is now cursed to be girl for rest of life?" even Shampoo sounded more than slightly perturbed about that.

"So?" Breeze asked, "You think it's a bad thing turning into a girl?"

"Different circumstances, Squirt," Ukyo chided, "But is Ranma really going to be stuck like this forever?"

"Well..." Lotus shrugged, "There is the water here on this Island, which might be powerful enough that it could even cancel out Jusenkyo...or maybe just modify it a bit, like the Mistress said might happen if it mingled with her own curse..."

"Yeeesh..." Nabiki winced, the mental image of a masculine he-Tiger looming large and fearsome in her imagination.

"The water, that's right!" Ranma-chan declared, "It could change me back permanently and I wouldn't have to go through life turning into a girl all of the time..."

"Gee, Ranchan," Ukyo remarked, "It didn't seem to bother you when you thought turning into a girl was only temporary..."

"Yeah, but that's different!" Ranma-chan protested, "I thought this was a one-  
time deal, I didn't mean to be like this forever!"

"Oh, don't worry about it, Ranchan," Perfume smiled, "I'm sure you'll find being a girl isn't the worst of all fates, and just look at these examples."

"Huh, yeah," Breeze noted, "You sure won't hear them complaining."

Once again attention turned to the virtual sea of comely bodies entwined in passionate embraces with hands, mouths and fingers roving freely wherever and with whoever was nearest to hand. Occasionally someone would groan and cry out with a sudden orgasm, while others were contented merely to indulge in heavy petting with the splash of cream punctuating the air at certain key moments when the excitement level went beyond normal human tolerance levels.

"Oh yeah," Akane said hoarsely, "It definitely sounds like everyone here is really getting into it."

"That's for sure, Sugar," Ukyo said with a wry note of humor, "Don't see a dry hole or conscientious objector in this bunch."

"What can I say?" Lotus shrugged prettily, "My people know their stuff."

"Maybe so," Nabiki said, "But this isn't getting us anywhere near to finding Lao or getting off this damned island. These girls may be having fun now, but if this island is as hazardous to members of our sex as you allege, then the longer we all stay here, the worse it's going to be for us."

"Shampoo agree with you, Airen," Shampoo replied, "This no place to raise young ones, and Shampoo no want daughter to lose womanhood, so we find Cousin now and make guards let go all captives."

"Easier said than done, Sugar," Ukyo noted, "Aside from Lao's crewmates, most of these girls here look like they'd be of no real use in a fight, and with as many as a hundred guards standing watch over this hen house..."

"Exactly," Perfume nodded, "Coupled that with the threat of being splashed with Man-changing water and I don't think you'd have too many takers, and frankly, I like the both of us exactly as we are, Airen. Of course, Ranchan might not mind losing that killer body, but it'd be a shame to waste it without taking a little sample..."

"You're enjoying this, aren't you?" Ranma-chan glared at the brown-haired Enforcer.

"Totally," Perfume leered, not bothering to hide the way she was "checking out" her sex-changed husband.

"So, what do we do?" Akane asked, looking strangely reluctant to leave the chamber with its bounteous temptations spread out like a smorgasbord before her.

"What can we do?" Lotus asked, "If we make a move, Tendo-san, it might jeopardize the Mistress."

"Really?" Nabiki arched an eyebrow, "Tell me the downside."

"Hey!" Breeze protested, "I don't want my Mom to wind up turning into my Father!"

"I'll tell you what I'm gonna do," Ranma-chan slapped fist-to-palm, "I'm gonna face that Prince guy down and I'm gonna make him give me that man-changing water!"

"Well, that's good for your priorities, Ranchan," Nabiki nodded, "And don't let me say I told you so, tempting the fates like this, but I guess that does come to the heart of the matter...we have to face down this Prince Toma and persuade him to let us go..."

"And the Mistress," Lotus insisted.

"Well...maybe," Nabiki said grudgingly, "If there's time enough for that..."

Just then Nila cried out in joy as Xiong-Fu's efforts yielded favorable results. The brief distraction almost drew their attention away from noticing how the doors at the far end of the room swung open, and then a polite cough was heard over the din of womanly passion, followed by a loud male voice calling out, "HIS HIGHNESS WILL NOW BE ATTENDED BY HIS FUTURE BRIDES...PLEASE MAKE YOURSELVES READY TO BE PRESENTED BEFORE HIS HIGHNESS!"

"What gives?" Ukyo asked, "I thought we had another hour at least."

"Guess his Nibs decided to up his timetable a bit," Nabiki remarked, "He may be a bit...tender, but no doubt he's old enough to have been through puberty, right?"

"I'm not too sure about that," Perfume replied, "From what I noticed about the Prince, he doesn't seem to understand what's involved with picking a bride."

"Oh really?" Akane asked, "Do you think maybe he's...you know?"

"Not if he's spent any amount of time with the Mistress," Lotus mused, "Well...maybe he just needs a mother. From what I've heard, the Prince lost his when he was too young to remember."

"You mean she died?" Akane replied, "That's so sad..."

"Ah...I don't think that's it either," Perfume warned, "In fact, from what I heard from the guards..."

"Save it for now," Nabiki urged, "We'd better help these girls make themselves presentable again...they look like they've just spent the last several hours screwing each other silly."

"No fooling," Ranma-chan remarked, "I'll bet not many of them will even be able to walk for another two or three hours."

"At least," Ukyo sniffed wryly.

"Too bad it's over," Akane sighed, "They looked like they were having fun..."

"Is that a fact?" a voice asked as a sultry brunette leaned close beside her.

"Maybe we can take you up on that in a bit?" asked a taller version of the redheaded Ranma-chan, "If you're still in the mood when this is all over."

"Keiko-chan?" Akane said with delight, "Kodachi?"

"Glad you noticed," Kodachi mused as she turned her focus towards Nabiki, "We took advantage of the confusion to slip in here and join you. Kei-chan and I have concluded our exploration of this Palace and we now know the safest routes to take if we need to make a quick exit."

"Glad to have you with us," Nabiki nodded, "We may need your help if it comes to a fight...but how did you change back from your animal bodies?"

"Hey, it's no problem for a Ferret to slip unseen into a kitchen to steal some hot water," Keiko replied, "A vulture, on the other hand...that's another matter."

"Quite so," Kodachi nodded, "Once we were back in human form it was simplicity itself to obtain outfits from the wardrobe room, and now we stand presentable once again...and don't we look like fit candidates for future Queen status?"

She did a neat pirouette to show off the revealing gown that she had (allegedly) covering her lithe body, finishing with a knowing leer at Nabiki, followed by an even more overt flirtatious puckering of her lips in Ranma-chan's direction.

"Huh?" Ranma-chan reacted, wondering why her body was reacting funny to the implied seductive hint of the sultry Kodachi.

The bridal candidates set about the formidable task of making themselves presentable once again, having to recovered discarded articles of clothing while combing disheveled hair back into a semblance of some order. Though sweat-  
covered bodies were covered with splotches of expended jism, there was little to do to help for that as they filed out of the chamber in ones and twos, Nabiki's group alone looking fresh and ready to go before royalty in a presentable condition.

The room that they were admitted to was considerably larger than the one they had left and far better illuminated with stained glass windows and plenty of overhead venting, kept reasonably cool by indoor plants and a cleverly arranged ventilation system. The layout was both tasteful and sumptuous with graceful curves in the spiraling stairs that led to a raised platform upon which was set a throne of dark grey marble.

"Pretty swank," Ukyo mused, "Is this a ball room or a throne chamber?"

"Both I suspect," Nabiki responded, "I'd say whoever designed this place was going for a fairy tale Arabian nights style of architecture, almost like a movie setting."

"They have guards posted everywhere," Ranma-chan observed, "But they only have swords and spears, nothing we can't handle."

"I'm with you for once," Akane grimly nodded, "Just let them try and start something, we'll teach them not to mess with us women!"

"You said it," Ukyo agreed.

"I'm with you, of course, Airen," Perfume remarked, "But I think we'd better hold it up...something important is about to happen."

Sure enough-as if right on cue-the trio of colorfully dressed lieutenants appeared near the upper platform, taking positions like an honor guard awaiting the arrival of the real celebrity and-sure enough-he appeared in a burst of smoke and colorful light, to the oohs and ahs of many a woman present.

"Greetings!" said a boy of early-to-preteen years, "I am Prince Toma of Togenkyo, your host for the evening, and on behalf of my Island Kingdom I bid you welcome."

"Huh," Breeze sniffed, "He's nothing special, doesn't even look that much older than I am..."

"Not too shabby," Nabiki mused, "The little squirt knows how to make an entrance."

"Just wait until I get my hands on the guy, I'll make him give me some of that water!" Ranma-chan declared in firm resolve.

"Water?" Kodachi asked.

"Aw, the Baka's gone and gotten himself stuck in his new girl form," Akane explained, "He wants the water to change himself back to normal."

"Really?" Keiko sniffed, "Good thing. I'm starting to feel like I'm being trailed by my own shadow..."

"Looks that way too," Breeze sniffed, "You guys look like you're sisters or something."

"Listen Kid," Ranma-chan bristled, "Nobody asked you to come along on this, so pipe down, the Squirt is going on about something."

"...And so I'd like to take this opportunity to introduce you to the Queen Mother, who will be presiding over these affairs as we choose one of you to be my future bride and Queen," Prince Toma declared as he waved a hand at the space to his side, where all at once a shimmering light appeared that slowly manifested into a clamshell of more than human proportions.

Very slowly that clamshell opened to reveal a human figure rising up from within, one dressed in a very odd costume as slinky and revealing as anything worn by the concubines, but adorned with fine jewelry and a fancy tiara that did indeed make her seem more regal, but with her pale sea green hair and towering figure she was instantly recognizable to those in the crowd of women who well knew her true identity, however bizarre her current appearance.

"I don't believe it..." Nabiki averred.

"It's the Mistress!" Lotus exclaimed in dismay.

"Lao?" Ranma-chan blinked twice just to be certain.

"She's the Queen Mother here?" Ukyo also blinked.

"Since when?" Perfume remarked.

"Since never!" Breeze exclaimed, "Who does that creep think he is declaring my mother is HIS mother?"

"Now that you are all here as my guests," Toma continued, "It is time that we began the contest. Seratoru!"

"Yes, my Lord," the monkey-man bowed his head then spoke loudly again, "First off we will have the contest to determine who is the most graceful and elegant among you! For that we will have a Rice Picking tournament to determine who among you has the qualities that should be possessed by a royal Princess!"

"Rice-picking tournament?" Shampoo said in a state of confusion shared by nearly everyone else present.

"Interesting," Kodachi mused, "They use tests of coordination and skill to help determine which candidate has most the seemly royal breeding."

"This is stupid!" Akane declared as the servants of Prince Toma began passing out two plates to every one of the women, then depositing a small handful of rice on the left plate so given.

"Yeah, you said it," Ranma-chan growled, "What are we supposed to do with these things anyway?"

"You are to use these chopsticks and use them to move rice from one plate to the other," said the servant passing out new sets of chopsticks.

"You're kidding me," Nabiki said.

"Why would we want to do that?" Ukyo wondered.

All at once the masked feathered man appeared and held up a slip that looked suspiciously like an invoice, "Because if you don't agree to cooperate, then I will be forced to issue this to every one of you."

"What the...?" Akane leaned closer, "It's a bill?"

"Charges for room service, accommodations, hair styling, room and board, male attendants, food and lodgings, to say nothing of those dresses and jewelry that you ladies are wearing," the masked man revealed, "All of which will amount to the tune of a hundred thousand yen a piece."

"Aiyaa!" cried Perfume and Shampoo together, who both had learned the hard way what it cost to do shopping at a Japanese supermarket.

"You've got to be out of your mind!" Nabiki declared, "You kidnapped these girls, and now you're charging them for room service?"

"What kind of a huckster operation is this?" Ranma-chan demanded.

"So, do you refuse to cooperate?" the masked man seemed more ominous as he asked this, "I warn you, if you refuse the Prince's hospitality..."

"You'll what?" Ranma-chan smiled, "Turn me into a guy? I double dare you!"

"Ranchan," Nabiki gently chided before addressing herself at the masked man, "We'll play your stupid game, but we'll do it our way...oh, and by the way...our respects to the Queen mother. Tell her she looks ravishing for us, will you?" she winked in a meaningful manner.

"Ah...yes...quite," the masked man started to edge away as if more intimidated by the gesture than by the tone Nabiki had been using. He moved on to other areas where his services might be considered useful, leaving Ukyo to voice an observation shared by the others.

"Is it just me or do you think that guy has trouble talking to women?" she mused.

"Could be," Perfume said, "If they're not used to dealing with women..."

"Fascinating," Kodachi reflected, "An island of men who have limited experience in dealing with women. There may be possibilities here worth exploiting."

"Oh yeah?" Keiko eyed the Black Rose suspiciously, "Like what?"

"Like getting them to drop their guard at a conveniently appropriate moment, of course," Nila mused, "Men tend to be suckers around most women, and with any luck these guys may turn out to be pushovers."

"Bridal candidates!" Seratoru announced, "Let the contest begin!"

Nabiki and Ranma-chan exchanged looks then smiled as if daring one another, then at once they both sat down to breaking their chopsticks, positioned them over their plates then nodding imperceptibly before going to work using their Amaguriken speeds to begin moving the rice kernels one at a time from one plate to another. Ukyo and the others looked on in dismay before bending to their tasks with somewhat less haste to their motions, but almost before it had begun Nabiki snatched her plate up with Ranma-chan only a split second behind her.

"DONE!" they cried almost together, only to have Ranma-chan turn to her wife and say, "Hey wait a minute...that wasn't fair! I have one hundred and eighty-three grains of rice to your one hundred and sixty seven!"

"Are you counting the kernels, Ranchan?" Nabiki sniffed, "I'll have you know that I was done nineteen strokes ahead of you, which more than makes up for difference..."

"Yeah, but a whole two strokes," Ranma-chan scoffed, "I still would have beat you!"

"Would you care to try it again?" Nabiki smiled, "This time we could divide them into equal numbers, then you and I can see which of us moved one hundred and seventy five kernels from one plate to another."

"You're on!" Ranchan smiled back, quickly shifting eight kernels from his plate to Nabiki's, then the two of them stood poised with chopsticks raised and matching expressions of earnest anticipation.

Ukyo blinked again as the pair rapidly moved their chopsticks in twin blurs of hasty motion, in seconds transferring the now-equal numbers of kernels back to their originals plates with hardly a stroke conceded one to the other.

"DONE!" they cried again in unison, only this time it was Nabiki's turn to say, "No fair, you cheated!"

"Cheated?" Ranma-chan protested, "I did not!"

"Oh?" Nabiki eyed him skeptically, "And was it my imagination that you deliberately knocked a few of your grains onto my plate?"

"I wasn't doing that!" Ranma-chan insisted, "I beat you fair and squarely!"

"By an entire three strokes," Nabiki scoffed, "Best two out of three?"

"You're on!" Ranma-chan said again.

"Uh...guys?" Akane asked, "What the heck are you doing?"

"This was supposed to be a contest of elegance and grace, remember?" Perfume pointed out.

"Just so," Kodachi mused as she moved her chopsticks in a more elegant manner, "Mere speed does not define royalty...you must show no haste in the economy of your movements."

"I'm having trouble just picking up the darned things," Keiko complained, "Maybe if they cooked them first instead of serving it to us raw..."

"Times up!" Seratoru announced, "The winner...this lovely lady in the soft green evening dress...your name again?"

A meekly hesitant voice replied, "Um...Mahori...Mahori Nagi."

"WHAAAAT?" both Nabiki and Ranma-chan cried together.

"A fine first showing, Miss Nagi-san," Seratoru complimented, "Next...a Princess Royal must have refinement in everything she does, including her work in the Palace royal gardens...so, as an ultimate test of stylish grace, we have prepared a challenge to test your abilities and mettle."

The doors swung open and the guards began pushing in a heavy wooden box that was mounted on a set of wheels. They brought this to the center of the chamber then hastily moved away and had one guard yank on a cord, which same caused the wooden sides of the box to fall away, revealing that within had been contained...

"Um...is that what I think it is?" Ukyo asked nervously.

"Aiyaa!" Shampoo exclaimed, "Is giant man-eating plant!"

"You've got to be putting me on!" Akane declared, appalled at the very sight of a towering plant whose tendrils were quite obviously alive, and whose central maw looked big enough to swallow a whole cow in one gulp. The other bridal candidates squealed in dismay and backed further away from the creature, but a few were too slow in getting away and wound up being ensnared within the thing's coiling tendrils.

"Ladies," Seratoru announced, "I give you...Martial Arts Combat Flower Arrangement!"

"Now I've seen it all," Nabiki drolly noted, "I'll never again make fun of what you do, Kodachi."

"What a charming flower," Kodachi remarked in passing.

"This isn't funny," Keiko spoke up, "Those girls look like they're in real trouble!"

"Nagi!" cried a blonde haired girl who jumped up and down in futility as she attempt to rescue one of the girls who had been ensnared by the plant's living tendrils, only she wound up getting ensnared by yet another with both girls being drawn up towards the creature-plant's gaping muzzle.

"We've got to do something!" Perfume declared, then fretted, "Oh, if only I still had my axes!"

"Leave this to me!" Nila announced as she moved forward, extending both arms, one hand suddenly surrounded in fire, the other hand turning incredibly icy. In seconds the plant was frozen stiff into a giant icicle, the tendrils becoming so brittle that they snapped under the weight of the entrapped women.

Ranma-chan and Nabiki rushed forward to catch two of the fallen ladies, Kodachi and Keiko leaping to react in time to break the fall of a couple of others with a fifth girl landing on her own feet, no worse for the wear.

Nila lowered her hands and studied her own handiwork then smiled, "Hah, try topping that one, Mom!"

"Most impressive," Prince Toma remarked, "But your task was to arrange the plant, not freeze it into an ice cube, so...I'm afraid you'll have to be disqualified from this stage of the competition."

"WHAT?" Nila cried out, "That's outrageous! Who do you think you are-hey, leggo!"

"Calm down, Darling," Xiong-Fu urged into her ear, "Don't court trouble for all of us by reacting to his taunts...wait until the moment is right, then you can have your revenge on the little monster."

"All right," Nila growled as she reluctantly subsided, "I'll play along...for now...but that clown had better watch it..."

"Guards," Seratoru called out, "Remove the plant and put it in a warm place. Have the Royal Gardener attend to it to see if he can nurse it back to health...it would be a great loss to this island if harm is to befall one of the royal plants. Once you are done we can move on with the next stage of the competition."

"I don't like this," Ukyo growled, "These challenges are getting a little too weird for my taste."

"I'm with you there, Airen," Perfume nodded, "These are the sorts of tests a child might devise..."

"Yeah," Ranma-chan grumbled, "A child who's seriously off his rocker."

"More like bored and seeking amusement," Keiko corrected, "Like it or not, gang, I think the little runt gets off on seeing us jump through his hoops and dance to his tune."

"Precisely my diagnosis," Kodachi nodded, "Which would explain a lot about the current plight of Captain Lao, who does not appear too happy in her role as the designated Queen Mother."

Eyes shifted to the unusually complacent Lao, who was sitting on a divan by the left hand of the throne of Prince Toma, acting very subdued while gazing back at them with an almost apologetic expression.

"Mistress?" Lotus blinked, "Why does she look so sad? I've many times seen her in other moods, but never one quite like this..."

"Indeed," Xiong-Fu replied, "Such sadness speaks of a hidden cause, a special purpose."

"And now," Seratoru spoke again, the guards having completed their assigned task of cleaning up the plant remains from the chamber, "For our next great challenge, a Princess must have character and fortitude and not be easily aroused by the sorts of things that would intimidate mere peasants."

"Now what is he up to?" Akane wondered, only to turn her head and say, "Huh?"

A commotion broke out among the women at the other end of the chamber, and all at once they started scattering in all directions, even as Nabiki and her Posse turned their heads in search of the cause, only to collectively glance down as a wave of small gray forms came bounding into the chamber.

"Huh?" Ranma-chan responded, "Mice?"

"Aiyaa," Shampoo faintly exclaimed.

"Tasty," Perfume mused, only to sense the shift of focus go briefly towards her, "What?"

"What's going on here?" Lotus asked, "Why are all these women terrified?"

"Is there something chasing after the mice?" Akane wondered.

"Hah!" Nabiki said dismissively, "They're just a bunch of scardy cats, that's all, letting themselves be intimidated by a bunch of harmless mice, and here I thought we were going to have a real challenge-WHA-HUH?" she did a double-  
take.

All at once a second wave came charging into the room, bounding on all fours in hot pursuit of the nits, who had been effectively scattered about the room in their haste to get away from the claws of their pursuers.

"Well, what do you know," Ranma-chan remarked, "They were being chased by a bunch of...uh oh..."

"C-C-C-CAAAATTTSSS!" Nabiki backed away with a sudden look of panic, turning and fleeing before the onrushing hoard of frisky felines, even as the rest of their party held their ground and just looked dumbfounded.

"What's with her?" Nila asked.

"You wouldn't believe it if we told you," Akane responded.

"Nabiki-chan?" Ranma-chan said in dismay as she watched her terrified wife climb up into a palm tree.

"Honestly," Keiko sighed, "You'd think she'd be over this phobia already having you for a co-wife, Per-chan."

"You would tend to think that," Perfume sighed, knowing that it would take them a good five minutes just to coax Nabiki down now that she was in a near-state of Neko.

"Aiyaa," Shampoo said sadly.

"Look at that one girl trying to hide in a tree from those cats," Toma chuckled, "Isn't she hilarious?"

"Oh yes," said Lao beside him in a more subdued than usual voice, "Most amusing."

"My Lord," Seratoru urged, "Isn't it time now for you to choose your bride already?"

Toma just leaned forward and inclined his chin on his hands with a smile, "No...I'd rather watch how things progress on the next challenge. I can't remember when I've had this much fun."

Unseen by the Prince a certain blue-haired girl had been using the confusion to sneak closer to the platform dais, and-overhearing that line-she frowned in narrowing disapproval.

"Oh," Seratoru's shoulders slumped and he turned back to address the cowering women, "Everyone calm down...guards, remove the mice and the women, it's time to move on to the Cooking challenge."

"Cooking challenge?" Ranma-chan winced, "When's this guy gonna make up his mind already?"

"Well, that's something Shampoo and me are pretty good at," Ukyo shrugged, "But I think we oughta get Nab-chan down first before she goes totally Neko."

"Airen, please come down, yes?" Shampoo asked in a cajoling tone of voice, "No can win next challenge if you hide up in tree."

"Are they gone yet?" Nabiki's voice quavered, "Are any of those...things still around?"

"What? you mean my cousins?" Perfume smile sweetly, "The guards are shooing them away, so there's no pussy cats around here besides me."

"Huh, one of you is more than enough," Ranma-chan gave an affectionate sniffed at the Enforcer, "C'mon, Nabby...don't hide up there all day! What will the neighbors think?"

"Nabby?" Nabiki reacted, "Come up here and say that, Mister."

"Why don't you come down here and make me," Ranma-chan challenged back with a grin, knowing that rattling her wife's ego was the best way to help Nabiki shake off the effects of the Neko.

"All right, I will," Nabiki said in a steadier voice as she vaulted back down to stand before the diminutive redhead, "Now try saying that to my face why don't you?"

"Okay," Ranma-chan replied without budging, "But since the next challenge up is a cook-off, you might as well sit it out and leave it to the pros."

"Oh, are you saying that I can't cook worth beans?" Nabiki bridled.

"No," Ranma-chan replied, "But we might all get food poisoning if you try."

"Oooohhh, you're gonna pay for that one, Mister," Nabiki tried to make herself sound stern, but her mouth would not cooperate and insisted on maintaining a wry grin that belied her attempt at sounding angry.

"Pardon me for asking this," Akane cut in on their private conversation, "But exactly how good a chef are you, Ranma?"

"Huh?" Ranma-chan blinked, "Well...I don't know...I mean, I've never tried it, Kasumi's always done the cooking in our family, right?"

"Good point," Akane nodded, "And I'm still trying to learn it as part of my Bridal training...and if you make one crack about it, I'll belt you!"

"Just leave up to us," Shampoo smiled, "Ukyo and Shampoo cook enough for both Airen."

"I can help out," Kodachi mused, "Unlike my brother, I am not totally dependent upon Sasuke, and I have, on occasion, been known to try out my culinary skills in the Kitchen."

"Yeah, and she doesn't even use hallucinogenic additives any more, take it from me," Keiko noted sweetly.

"Well, contrary to what you guys may think," Nabiki cocked her head, "I do know something about cooking on the road...nothing too fancy, but good enough to sustain me and Oyaji."

"Just don't burn anything, Sugar," Ukyo urged, "And we'd better get cracking before his Nibs gets any more impatient."

"Hey," Nila glanced around, "Anybody see what happened to the kid with the blue hair?"

"You mean Breeze-chan?" Xiong-Fu blinked and glanced around in surprise.

"Come on, what are they waiting for?" Toma complained as he fidgeted on his throne, "The animals are cleared away, why don't they start the competition?"

"Why do you care?" Lao asked, "You don't even plan on eating their cooking."

"Haven't I explained it enough to you yet?" Toma replied, "It's the principle of the thing...a wife should cook the meals for her husband...that's what my father always said before he died."

"And I keep telling you that there is a lot more to having that kind of relationship than..." Lao suddenly turned her head in surprise, "Breeze?"

"Eh?" Toma turned to follow the Captain's gaze and found himself being confronted by a blue-haired girl only a few years younger than himself, and before he had time to remark on that her hand went back and she slapped him across the face.

"How dare you call yourself a Prince and threaten my mother?" Breeze demanded, "Don't you know anything at all about being a real leader?"

"My lord!" Seratoru reacted in shock, having totally missed the approach of the child who had just so brazenly assaulted his master.

"Breeze...what are you doing here?" Lao sounded shocked, already rising up out of her chair.

"I'm here to rescue you, Momma," Breeze informed her, "You didn't think I was going to sit back and let this creep turn you into a guy?"

"How dare you assault our Prince?" the masked man demanded, reaching out to grip Breeze by the collar of her shirt, only to wind up holding it and not the child herself.

The next second he felt a sharp rap against his shin, causing him to hop up and down on one foot at the unexpected pressure.

"Try picking on someone your own size, you big meanie-YIKES!" Breeze yelped as a huge hand reached down and picked her up by the scruff of her neck.

"NO!" both Lao and Breeze cried out together.

"Whoowoo?" Wonton asked with a puzzled expression.

"Don't hurt her," Toma commanded firmly, "Put her down, Wonton, nice and gently.

The big burly man did as he was told, setting the half-clad Breeze down on her feet with the care of one handling something fragile. Once Breeze was let go she started rubbing the back of her neck while staring up at the large man-dog with a wary expression.

"Who...are you?" Toma demanded.

"That's my son, Breeze," Lao replied.

"Son?" Toma blinked to be sure again in spite of the evidence before him.

"I mean...she is my Daughter," Lao closed her eyes for a moment to reorganize her thoughts, "But she has a curse that turns her into a girl, just like your sacred water can turn women into men. Use hot water and she will become a boy...or would, but I've used my powers to seal her into this condition."

"You what?" Toma asked, "But why?"

"It's...a very long story," Lao explained, "It has to do with her father..."

Toma continued staring at Breeze with a puzzled expression, "You were born a man...but your mother chose to make you into a girl?"

"Yeah, what about it?" Breeze asked.

Toma continued to study her for a moment then smiled and put his hand on Breeze shoulder, "Seratoru, I have decided...this shall be my bride."

There was hardly a half-second interval before nearly everyone within earshot cried out, "YOU WHAAAT?" including both Lao, Seratoru and especially Breeze herself, to say nothing of Nabiki and the rest of her Posse...

Continued.

Comments/Criticisms/Bridal Competition: shadowmane

What in the world is Toma thinking? Good question! Find out next time in, "Short Engagements," or "Home is Where the Hentai Roams." Be there!

X

If you wish to check out my other works, Please check out my Fanfiction webpage at: . All related chapters of this series can be found there along with my other works.  
/pre 


	22. Chapter 22

preDNabikiTHCh22

Nabiki 1/2

"A Very Scary Thought!"

THE HONEYMOON HENTAI CHAPTERS!

By Jim Robert Bader

(Inspired by the works of Rumiko Takahashi Others)

Chapter Twenty-Two.

HENTAI ALERT-QUESTIONABLE MATERIAL AHEAD!  
CONTAINS SCENES THAT MAY BE DEEMED LESS THAN SUITABLE FOR ANYONE POSSESSING A PULSE AND A BODY TEMPERATURE OF 98.7 o FAHRENHEIT, SO CHECK COMMUNITY STANDARDS IN YOUR AREA IF YOU THINK YOU DON'T QUALIFY-YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED!

"Say what?" Breeze asked, "You want me to be your what?"

"My future Queen," Toma replied, "I think you will do quite admirably, even if you are a few years younger than myself."

"Are you nuts or something?" Breeze asked, "You hardly even know me!"

"Well then, time enough for us to become acquainted," Toma replied, "There is no hurry to hold the ceremony, after all...it is as much a formality as it is to assume the throne in the name of my father."

"Um...your highness?" Seratoru hesitantly raised a simian finger, "Are you...certain that this is wise?"

"Do you question me, Seratoru?" Toma asked with the arching of an eyebrow.

"N-N-No!" Seratoru hastily prostrated himself, "Never, your Majesty...I would never even consider questioning your wisdom or your judgement..."

"Fine," Toma nodded, "Then it is settled."

"It is not!" Lao protested, "That's my daughter you're proposing to! If you think I'll just stand for your deciding her fate..."

"You have objections?" Toma cocked an eyebrow and smiled at the tall lady Pirate.

Lao balked at going so far, "Ah...well..."

"Then we can have your blessings and declare our engagement official," Toma gave Lao a meaningful look and added, "Correct?"

"Ah...well..." Lao visibly sweated.

"MOM!" Breeze looked shocked at seeing her mother so easily intimidated.

"My lord," the masked man spoke up, "If you have decided on your bride...then what do you intend on doing with the rest of these women?"

"I don't care," Toma shrugged, "Divide them among yourselves if you like."

"My lord," the masked man seemed both surprised and pleased by this declaration.

"Words cannot convey the happiness you give us," Seratoru bowed again, then turned and called out, "ALL RIGHT MEN-GO FOR IT!"

The guards all exchanged collective looks at one another, then as one they dropped their weapons and spears and started to advance on the gathering of women.

"Uh oh," Nabiki winced.

"I don't like the look of this," Ranma-chan fell into a defensive crouch.

"That makes two of us, Sugar," Ukyo agreed as she and the rest of their Posse automatically formed a circle and turned their backs to one another as the mayhem broke out all around them in the chamber...

"Uh oh," Martha said, subconsciously echoing the thoughts of a nervous Nabiki, "I don't like the looks of this...it's turning into total mayhem and confusion."

"What is it?" demanded Blossom, "What are you seeing up there? What's happening to the Mistress?"

"Ah...well..." replied the hovering Martha, who was maintaining a constant altitude of a thousand feet while scanning the interior of the palace with her Super-senses, "I don't know how to put this, but it looks like the Prince has selected Breeze to be his future bride, and he's given leave to the guards to have their way with the rest of the other women."

There was a faint pause before Blossom cried out, "HE'S WHAAAT?"

Martha winced, regretting that she had agreed to carry the portable microphone-  
hearing aid hooked around one earlobe, "Take it easy down there...there's no cause to get excited. I'm going in there to break a few heads and get things calmed down..."

"No, this is our job!" Maki broke in, "SQUADRON-MOVE OUT! WE'RE GOING IN THERE TO SAVE BREEZE-SAN AND THE MISTRESS!"

"No, wait!" Martha called out, too late as it turned out as she saw with a glance the stream of mercenaries who were breaking cover and charging across the open grass, converging upon the palace, to which she quipped, "Oh, hell!"

She briefly considered using her powers to stem the tide that was now converging on the palace, but decided that Lao's crew could not substantially make matters much worse than they were now, though she was going to keep a close watch on Maki and her gun-toting mercenaries just to make certain that no one got shot by mistake, especially the unarmed civilians whom they were supposed to be rescuing. From what she could see the other side was only armed with spears and swords, and a turkey-shoot was not her idea of a hostage rescue!

Other than that, if there was any head-breaking to be done, she was the one who intended to do it!

The guards on duty had little time to react when a horde of screaming women came charging at them, some with guns blazing. To Martha's relief the mercenaries fired into the air and not at the guards themselves, who wisely fled in understandable terror rather than stay at their posts and get quite possibly slaughtered.

Of course the sounds of gunfire did not go unheard inside the palace itself where heads turned questioning looks towards the direction of the fire, and the frenzied tumult of guards snatching up potential concubines slowed down to a mere trickle.

"What was that?" Prince Toma himself inquired.

"Trouble," Breeze predicted, recognizing the tell-tale approach of the mercenaries.

"Offhand, I would say someone interrupted Maki's morning coffee break," Lao noted drolly, "And I did give orders for them to remain aboard ship...I wonder what could have possessed Blossom and the others to defy my commands?"

"Well, stop them!" Toma insisted, "Or you know that there will be consequences!"

"You don't need to remind me, Prince," Lao rolled her eyes but remained where she was as if waiting for the inevitable to happen.

"Do you hear that?" Ranma-chan asked as she disengaged herself from the guy whose elbow she was nearly bending backward.

"Sounds like the cavalry's on its way," Ukyo noted.

"And we didn't even give the signal," Nabiki sniffed, "Someone is definitely going to have to answer for that."

The next second the wall nearest to the seaboard exploded inward as one Bakusai Tenketsu rendered the palace with a new entrance, and through this gap Ryoga strode, flanked by the mercenaries and a battle-ready Alison and Beatrice, the latter having donned her customary Akagiyama armor.

"Ryoga!" Akane cried in delight, only to yelp in dismay as a pair of simian hands snatched her from the midst of the Posse and carried her off, followed by more hands snatching up Perfume and Kodachi.

"AKANE!" Ryoga reacted as he saw his girlfriend being hauled away by another.

"HEY!" Keiko cried out as she saw the black rose being bundled away across the back of the burly Wonton.

"PER-CHAN!" Ukyo yelled in equal parts of surprise and outrage.

"Quite a haul, eh Wonton?" the masked warrior cheerfully remarked as he bore a somewhat stunned Amazon from the room like the proverbial sack of potatoes slung across his shoulder.

"Whooowoo!" the giant dog-man replied, ignoring the struggling attempts of Kodachi, who beat her hands against his broad backside.

"HEY!" Nabiki was equally outraged, "They can't take our friends like that-and that's my sister, you frigging Ape!"

"We'd better go after them before they get hurt," Ranma-chan urged quickly.

"Don't worry," Keiko vowed, "When I catch up with that bruiser I'M GONNA HURT HIM!"

"Frankly, I'd be a little more worried about what Akane will do to that Ape-  
guy," Nabiki mused, "I don't think this Island has enough medical coverage to pay for his injuries, but you're right, we can't let anyone get away with stealing members of our Posse!"

"NOBODY MOVE!" cried Martha as she created a new sunroof for the palace, drawing attention back her way as she oriented her attention towards Prince Toma, the only potential source of trouble that she could immediately deal with, "Prince Toma, in the name of Internationally recognized laws of fair and humane treatment, I order you to stand down and surrender your prisoners to the custody of Captain Lao and myself. If you offer resistance then I will be forced to take action..."

"No!" Lao made a frantic effort to hand wave Martha away, "You don't understand..."

"How absurd," Toma remarked, "A woman giving me orders, and within my own palace! You should be careful with whom you adopt such a tone, Lady, it ill behooves a guest within my palace."

"Smarty pants," Breeze growled, "Do you got any idea just who that is?"

"An interloper who shall taste the fury of my wrath," Toma declared as he smoothly drew his sword and held it aloft, and all at once the blade gleamed in the sunlight and took on an incandescent glow that caused many to avert their eyes and cry out in terror.

Martha, not so easily intimidated, ignored the glare and focused her heat vision powers, intending to lightly toast the metal so that it would become too hot for the Prince to hold...but to her dismay she felt the flash of fires spreading out to engulf her, and all at once she cried out in pain and terror as her whole body was engulfed in flames, flames that lanced out to engulf many of the mercenaries and even included Alison and Beatrice, who each reacted as though their bodies were suddenly surrounded in the fires of a blazing inferno.

"NO!" cried Lao, who hastily vaulted from the dais and summoned up her powers even before her feet touched the floor, spreading out a misty vapor that surrounded those writhing in agony, including Martha, who had plunged to earth like a blazing comet.

Nabiki fought to maintain some semblance of control as she had been among the first to look away before the light became too blinding. She was aware of the searing agony experienced by the others and her first impulse was to grab Shampoo up in her arms in an attempt to shield her with her body. A moment later, however, the sense of fire threatening to consume them fell away as the room itself returned to normal. She chanced to look around and found Alison laying atop Beatrice while Ranma and the rest of the concubines were protected inside of an ice igloo that had sprung up from seeming nowhere. She further saw the mercenaries slowly recovering from their disorientation, a few having fainted or collapsed from the seeming heat wave, while Lao was kneeling down to attend to an unhurt Martha, who herself was blinking her eyes and shaking off her own sense of confusion.

"What...happened?" Martha gasped.

"You were affected by an illusion," Lao explained, "Prince Toma is a master at the art, as was his father before him. The flames weren't real, but they seemed so real that your mind overcame the actual sensations of your body and convinced you that you were burning. That's why I wanted you to stay back...you're Kryptonian half makes you especially vulnerable to this sort of magic."

"This was an illusion?" Blossom asked, "But...It felt so real..."

"That was the point," Lao turned to her second-in-command and her tone became stern, "And what is the idea of you leading an attack party like this? I expressly ordered you to remain back on the ship, to let me handle things in my own way. Why did you disobey me?"

Blossom hesitated for only a second before firming her resolve and responding, "Captain...Mistress...it was my belief that you were acting under duress imposed by Prince Toma and the threat he represents through the use of this Island's cursed water. Under these circumstances I was forced to decide that your judgement had been impaired and that it was our duty, as your crewmembers, to act accordingly as we felt best represented your genuine intentions."

"You dared presume to think for me?" Lao sounded more surprised than angry, "I'm amazed at you, Blossom...you've actually started to grow a backbone."

"Captain," Blossom trembled, "If I acted in haste or have shown poor judgement, then it is my responsibility and I will face the consequences when this is over..."

"Granted," Lao replied, "But that won't excuse the rest of you, especially you, Maki. How many times have I told you to leave the guns behind when engaging less well armed civilians?"

"Boss," Maki replied, "It's always been my firm policy that those who live by the sword perish at the hands of those who don't, and that a well armed mercenary is worth twenty spear chuckers, while twenty of us are worth any regular army."

"Well stated," Lao congratulated, "But my decision still stands. Report to the Torture Chamber when this is all over."

"Yessir!" Maki saluted as if she had just been given a commendation.

"I suppose I have you to thank for this egregious breach in command protocol, Nabiki-chan?" Lao eyed the worthy in question, "Rallying my troops to mutiny against me...that's so audacious I'm actually impressed."

"Hey, it wasn't my idea!" Nabiki protested, "I was talked into it by Breeze and Ranma."

"Indeed?" Lao mused, turning her gaze towards the Ice Igloo, only to see it dissolve and melt under a fiery curtain that resolved itself into the person of Nila Caulder.

"Wow," Ranma remarked as he saw the well-tanned girl sag slightly, having finished evaporating her own ice construction, "You did all that by exchanging heat ratios?"

"It's not that hard," Nila shrugged, "Mutant power or no, it's just a simple matter of exchanging rates of kinetic vibration, exciting molecules when you want to heat them up, slowing them down to a crawl when you want to freeze them."

"Yeah, I think I see how that can work," Ranma-chan nodded sagely, "I'm gonna have to try that out for myself and see if I can do it too," she noted as she stared at her tattooed arms, which were only partially concealed by her current outfit.

"You're so talented," Xiong-Fu smiled as she hugged Nila with affection, "My hero."

"Ah..." Nila responded by blushing so deep that her brown skin became a darker shade of chestnut.

"Enough of this!" Prince Toma suddenly drew attention back towards himself, "This foolishness is ended! I gave you time to attend to your people, now...you must come with me and my chosen Bride, the Honeymoon suite awaits us."

"I know that already," Lao sighed, turning away, "Blossom, Nabiki, Martha-  
chan...please remain here and don't attempt to follow. Let me handle this my way...it's for the better, trust me on that, will you?"

"My lady?" Blossom blinked as Lao vaulted back up to the dais, where Toma and her daughter awaited.

"Wait here?" Ranma-chan asked, "She's gotta be kidding!"

"My words exactly," Nabiki frowned as she tried to fathom Lao's actions.

Martha struggled to her feet and growled, "If that little Rugrat thinks this is over, he's wrong by a longshot!"

"You said it, Sis," Alison replied as she helped Beatrice back to her feet, only to hear her "wife" say a somewhat startled, "Alison, you saved me..."

"Well...yeah," Alison blinked as she found herself looking into the depths of Beatrice's eyes, and finding it difficult to look away again as her companion was positively glowing.

That turned out not to be the only thing which was glowing, because a ball of light all at once surrounded the dais, shaped like a giant peach, through which Prince Toma and Lao departed, the former dragging along a surprised Breeze in tow behind him.

"Hey!" Breeze called out in feeble protest, only to vanish when the peach winked out into nothing.

"Gotta hand it to that guy," Nila remarked, "He sure knows how to make an exit."

"Shampoo no need you hold so tight, Airen," Shampoo said as she snuggled in close to Nabiki, "But I no mind you try and protect Shampoo."

"Ahm..." it was Nabiki's turn to blush slightly.

"Hate to cut in," Ranma-chan said, "But we've got something else to worry about besides Lao and that squirt. Ryoga took off after the creep who ran off with Akane, and I think Ukyo and Kei-chan did the same thing for the same kind of reason."

"Then we go get them," Shampoo declared, letting go of Nabiki as she pounded one fist into the palm of her other hand, "Nobody take cousin-wife away from Shampoo and Airen...is bad news if Amazon look like weak girl before outsiders. It...what word again for thing done that set back example, Airen?"

"Precedent," Nabiki nodded, "And I'm with you, Sham-chan, and you too, Ranchan."

"Right," Ranma nodded, "So lets go pound some sense into that brat and his freakish sidekicks!"

"Hey, don't expect to leave us behind," Alison spoke up.

"Indeed," Beatrice concurred, "We are a team in this, all for one and one for all."

"I'll never say bad things about the company you keep again, Ali-chan," Martha nodded, glancing around, "Problem is...parts of this Palace appear to be lead-  
lined, so I'm not too sure where they took your friends, I just know it has to be somewhere in this palace."

"Perhaps if we split up we may cover more terrain," Beatrice suggested.

"Good idea," Alison agreed, "That way we can do more damage."

"I hear that," Nabiki grinned, "Ready, Ranchan?"

"You bet," he nodded, and at one the group filed out of the room at a dead run, using the very same wide-gated exit as had been taken by the kidnappers.

Blossom remained where she was until she noticed something else was amiss and declared, "Where is Lotus?"

"Pink haired girl?" one of the few remaining concubines replied, "I think she got taken with the others."

"Then I have to rescue her," Blossom said grimly, "Jasmine...Maki...I don't believe I'm saying this, but you two take charge here, I'm going to find Lotus."

"Understood," Jasmine nodded.

"You can count on us," Maki cocked her favorite rifle.

"And don't shoot anybody unless you have to!" Blossom warned before hastily making her own exit.

"AAAWWW..." Maki growled, "They never let me have any fun..."

"Hey," Corporal Tanner spoke up, "What do we do about all these guards and the ladies?"

"Good point," Jasmine nodded, "What do we always do in these types of situations?"

"What else?" grinned Maki before giving out the savage war-cry known, feared and dreaded throughout the South Pacific and anywhere that Lao's Raiders were known to drop anchor, "TAKE PRISONERS!"

Without time so much as to give out a yelp, the guards panicked as mercenaries (both armed and those who were dressed up like palace consorts) converged upon them, and before too long both men and women were being carried off, some kicking and yelling, as the mercenaries bore their booty back towards the beach with the happy contentment of a starving pack of savage headhunters (which, of course, might be considered an insult to the headhunters, since the kind of "Head" these girls were after was not the sort found above the shoulders)...

Ryoga ran blindly through the palace corridors wondering which way he should go to find the fiend who had stolen Akane. His usual lack of direction could have taken him anywhere, and the frustration that this gave him made him desperate to find someone who could give him proper directions. Unfortunately the guards had all vanished and the servants were making themselves scarce, so he stumbled on deeper and deeper into the palace without knowing which path would ultimately be the right one.

(Akane,) he thought with growing frustration, (Somehow I'll find you, and when I do that man-monkey is toast!)

Ordinarily this would have been an idle boast on his part, but some benevolent power was smiling down on him this day and by the more incredible of coincidences he found a set of double doors and pushed on through, and-lo and behold-discovered himself in the very lair of the Seneschal, Seratoru.

"Ryoga!" Akane cried out as she turned to see his entrance.

Ryoga nearly fell over in surprise and disbelief, incredulous to think that his direction sense had actually served him right for once, and almost not daring to believe his good fortune. Instead he firmed himself up and declared, "I'm here for you, Akane! I'll make that Monkey sorry he ever laid a paw on you..."

"Who are you calling a Monkey?" Seratoru himself snapped back, "And what's with that get up, Kid? Some SM store was having a fire sale or something?"

"Urk," Ryoga winced, then forced himself to regain some of his composure, "You shut up, and you let Akane go now or I'm gonna take you out!"

"You and what army, kid?" Seratoru cracked his knuckles, "The girl is with me, and we were just having a lovely time together when you go and interrupt us."

Ryoga almost stumbled upon hearing this and turned to Akane with an amazed expression, "Is this true?"

"Is what true?" Akane blinked her eyes in momentary confusion, then comprehension dawned on her and she hastily waved her hands declaring, "Oh-no, no, no, no, no! It wasn't like that at all! We were just sitting here and talking together..."

"Talking?" Ryoga was suddenly suspicious, "And that's all?"

Akane blinked, "What do you mean that's all? Ryoga...I wasn't making out with him, I was just trying to convince Seratoru here that I'm not the right girl for him..."

"Oh, so you two are on a first name basis, huh?" Ryoga nodded, fueled by emotions that surprised even him at the moment.

"Well, what's wrong with that?" Akane asked, "It wasn't like I was going to fuck him or anything like that..."

"Oh, you say that now," Ryoga snorted, "But just wait until you get to know him better, right? Hey, what does it matter if he isn't even your species, what's a little experimenting to you? Just another notch in your belt, or something..."

"WHAT?" Akane bridled, surprising even Seratoru with her sudden burst of anger, "How dare you accuse me of something like that! Ryoga, he just happens to be a sweet guy...okay, so many he started life out as an ape, but with enchanted waters on the Island giving him the shape of a man..."

"How would you know what he's shaped like?" Ryoga sniffed, "Did you check to see below his belt?"

"I wouldn't do a thing like that behind your back!" Akane cried indignantly.

"Why?" Ryoga asked, "Because he's not a woman? That would certainly make it better for you, right?"

"What does it matter if I sleep with girls or not?" Akane wanted to know, "You're the only guy I'm interested, you Baka! You know I would cheat with some guy behind your back!"

"No," Ryoga retorted, "You'd do it in front of my face and tell me that it was for my benefit! Well, I've had it being your doormat, Akane. If you want to stay in a relationship with me, then you're going to have to decide what's really important for you...our engagement, or your desire to experiment with alternate lifestyles."

"Are you mad at me because I'm making time with Kei-chan and Kodachi?"

"Bingo!" Ryoga flared, "You care more about pleasing them than you do spending time with me!"

"That's not true and you know it!" Akane declared in outrage, "And beside...I didn't exactly see you kicking them out of our bed, and 'Dachi's ridden you plenty of times! You think I'm jealous about that? NO! Because I trust you, because I care about Kodachi, and I know the two of you would never try to deliberately hurt me!"

"Are you sure that's it?" Ryoga asked sadly, "Because I'm not sure about anything anymore. I'm not sure how much you care, and I'm not sure if I really even matter..."

"Uh...say what?" Seratoru blinked his eyes as he looked from one party to the other.

"Ryoga," Akane was stunned by the wistful futility in his voice, "How can you say that? You matter a lot to me! I care about you! I...I...I..." she faltered.

"Ah...can I say a word here?" Seratoru asked as he raised one simian finger.

"What do you want to say?" Ryoga growled.

Seratoru smiled, "To get to her, Kid, you've got to go through me, and frankly, from the sound of things, you're not man enough to try it."

"WHAT?" Ryoga bristled, "How dare you say a thing like that to me, and in front of my fiancée!"

"Fiancée, huh?" Seratoru vaulted over the couch and confronted the boy from the space of several paces, "Well, that's about to change because she's finally met a real man, and I'll show you why it isn't smart to face Seratoru in his own lair. SPECIAL ATTACK, SERATORU SHADOW STALKING!"

"Huh?" Ryoga blinked as it suddenly seemed as though the Man-Monkey was growing a foot taller as his shadow expanded outward, and then the room itself seemed to go dark, only to rise again with a weird, surreal cast to the entire chamber.

"Ryoga?" Akane's voice seemed to echo from very far away.

"Ryoga?" a very different Akane snapped, "What are you doing here? How dare you butt in to a private meeting!"

"Huh?" Ryoga blinked, "But..."

"Didn't you hear me?" she snapped, "I told you to get lost! You disgust me, I find you dull and boring! What I ever saw in you I'll never know, but it's over, you hear me! You're just too dull witted for me to be interested in a clod like you, so BEAT IT!"

"Huh?" Akane wondered why she seemed to be hearing an echo of her voice say such cruel and untrue things about Ryoga and she started to open her mouth to protest when she saw Ryoga's shoulders sag and his head hang down in misery and dejection.

"So it's true," he groaned, "You've grown tired of me, I'm no good for you any more...I'm just a useless vagabond who doesn't have any right to lay claim to a girl like you..."

"No!" Akane protested, "That isn't what I...!"

"That's right," another version of herself interrupted, "You're not good enough for me, you never were! I never want to see you again, so why don't you just turn around and leave?"

"Leave?" Ryoga sighed, "But leave to go where? Without you...I have nothing..."

"Then go crawl off into a corner and sulk, why don't you?" the other Akane cruelly taunted.

"Works every time," Seratoru smirked in triumph.

Akane opened her mouth to once again attempt to contradict her doppelganger, only to feel the marrow in her bones begin to freeze as she heard the next words that Ryoga uttered, "...But I'm beyond caring...if I've no reason to live, then you don't have any right to live either, Monkey!"

The nape hairs on the back of her head started standing on end as she saw the Chi-lines begin to shape and converge around Ryoga's hands, and without another word she dove for cover, hiding behind the couch and plastering herself against the floor against the inevitable maelstrom that she knew was about to be unleashed within the chamber.

"Huh?" Seratoru gasped as he, too, saw the force-lines swell around the boy whom he was busy taunting, and all at once a ball of concentrated black Chi took shape between Ryoga's hands, growing and swelling to become a thing that drew all of the negative energies in the room into itself, turning so black that it started glowing like the event horizon surrounding a Black Hole, filling the whole chamber with an unhealthy glow of rage and depression.

"How are you doing that?" Seratoru asked in horrified fascination.

"It was a mistake for you to make me angry," Ryoga flared, and all at once he shoved his hands forward and unleashed his most intensive blast, crying out, "SHI SHI HOUKONAN!"

Akane tried to cover her ears as a thunderous blast shook the entire room with the force of a cannon going off at point-blank range, the searing wave of intensified dark Chi rocketing towards the hapless Seratoru and knocking him for a loop like a straw blown by a hurricane, blowing out the entire back side of the chamber without even blunting the full force of Ryoga's scorching attack. It took several long seconds before the backwash set in, and then Akane risked opening her eyes and glancing up and around past her shoulder, seeing the hole that now stood where a wall had been as the remaining positive ions settled into the room like jilted lovers wondering where their negative counterparts had gotten off in such a hurry.

And then she turned to see Ryoga himself begin to sway on his feet, the blast having taken away a good chunk of his own strength at the moment. "That'll teach him," he remarked before toppling forward like the proverbial limp puppet whose strings had just been sliced by a katana.

With barely more than a yelp Akane leaped to her feet and vaulted the sofa, arriving just in time to catch the dark haired boy before he could strike the floor with his face and cushioning his fall into a much softer landing.

"Ryoga..." she said with concern in her voice and expression.

He opened his eyes briefly and said, "Akane...?"

"Don't try to talk, Dummy," she hugged him to her bosom and began to stroke his hair with affection, "That was some stunt you just pulled, it's gonna take you a couple of minutes just to get your strength back."

"It was worth it," he sighed as he blissfully rested her cheek between her breasts, "Nobody...can come...between you and me...you're...my fiancée..." and then he slumped into unconsciousness, leaving Akane to hug him even tighter to her bosom.

"That's right," she sighed, "You're my fiancée...and no one can ever come between us, I promise..."

"What...what happened to me?" Perfume asked as she felt a somewhat dizzy sensation, looking around at where she was and scenting by the smell of feathers that she might be in some sort of massive bird house. There were wooden perches everywhere, and the space below them seemed distant, though she privately estimated it at around seven or eight meters at least.

"Coming to your senses at last, I see?" purred the masked man in amusement, "Welcome to your new home, I've just been dying to meet you."

"You?" Perfume almost slipped as her bare foot rubbed off of her wooden purchase before she automatically adjusted her balance, then did a double-take as she saw the sheer drop that waited beneath her, "What...?"

"Don't worry," the masked man said, "I won't permit you to fall...not, at least, so long as you continue to please me. My, my, but you are a lovely thing, and that dress you're wearing hardly does you justice."

Perfume frowned as she stared at the masked man, "What do you want with me?"

"I should think that was obvious," the masked man inclined his head in a way that insinuated a smile, "Tell me something...are those breasts for real? I didn't know that women with breasts like you could be so agile."

Perfume did something very uncharacteristic for her and covered herself up with both hands, not wanting to give this stranger a free "peep show." Though she had never been particularly modest in her life, the idea of being sized up by this fellow like a piece of meat in a pet window was hardly appealing.

"You think you can take me on?" Perfume sniffed the air then said, "You're just one of Prince Toma's creatures...one of those...THINGS that he doused with that man-creating water."

"I may have been a creature before I was a man," the masked man responded, "But you'll find that I am all man where it really counts."

"I doubt that," Perfume replied, "And besides...you can't take me like some cheap floozy...I'm an Amazon, I only acknowledge as mate a strong warrior who can defeat me in battle."

"Oh, so you're an Amazon, eh?" the masked man sounded amused, "Now I'm more intrigued than ever!"

"You'll be a lot worse off if you think you can take me," Perfume stood calmly poised and tried to concentrate, to "feel" the space beyond her hands, to reach out for the "pocket space" where she normally stored her axes, hoping against hope to feel their comfortable weight in her hands, to lean on the protection that they would normally afford her.

But the man-creature moved quicker than she would have imagined and suddenly objects flew in her direction before she even knew what they were. Perfume instinctively brought her hands back up to attempt to deflect these projectiles, but to her surprise they whizzed past her body without doing any damage. Much to her surprise, however, her arms were yanked to her sides as portions of her wardrobe were snagged and pulled backwards into the wooden surface immediately behind her.

"There, that should keep you civil for a few more minutes," the masked man said as Perfume struggled against the bonds of her own wardrobe, "Now, let me look on you in more detail...yes...you are definitely a rare prize, and quite exotic...WHA-?"

All at once the masked man darted back from Perfume, dodging the familiar hiss of metal spatulas that whizzed through the space where the man had been standing.

"You keep your filthy hands off her, you Jackass!" Ukyo cried as she appeared on a nearby perch, "Perchan belongs to ME, and there's no way I'm letting you have her!"

"Airen!" Perfume declared with a surge of gratitude and relief.

"How so?" the masked man seemed confused as he stared at Ukyo then declared, "But...you are a woman!"

"Good eyes there, Creep," Ukyo said as she vaulted onto the perch between Perfume and the masked man, "But this is one girl who's gonna kick your sorry ass if you come anywhere near my Perchan!"

"Good timing, Ucchan," Perfume grinned, "But how did you find me?"

"Are you kidding?" Ukyo smirked, "It was childsplay for someone trained in Ninjutsu. By the way, you look pretty good in that, especially pinned to the wall that way. Gives me ideas of the possibilities this leaves open."

"Flatterer," Perfume grinned, "You've been spending too much time around my cousin."

"Well, I hate to say this," Ukyo leered, "But maybe your cousin does have a point...I mean...it may sound Hentai for me to say this, but the idea of taking advantage of you while you're helpless and vulnerable like this..."

"What is this?" the masked man sounded even more confused, "You two are together? But...that makes no sense at all! How can you be involved in a relationship...it's unnatural, perverse!"

"You shut your mouth before I make you!" Ukyo snapped, "I don't need to be told what's natural and unnatural by a masked kidnapper who tries to steal and force himself on my wife!"

"To say nothing of the father of her baby," Perfume added sweetly.

"Yeah, that too," Ukyo noted.

"Father?" the masked man looked stunned, "But...that can't be possible! How could you two share a baby?"

"Hey, you think you guys are the only ones who know how to use magic?" Ukyo leered, "And you know something else? Perchan here was more of a man than you!"

"You'll pay for that insult!" the masked man declared, his hand suddenly bristling with more of the same type of feathers that he had used to pin Perfume and launched those deadly pinquils in Ukyo's direction.

Much to his amazement, though, Ukyo's hands flashed in a blur and easily deflected the feathers, and then in one quick movement she advanced upon the masked man and landed a solid blow that cracked his mask right down the middle.

"AAARRGGHHH!" her opponent staggered away, "How dare you strike me in the face, you...harlot!"

"Hey, you know the old saying," Ukyo declared as she leaped forward and delivered a side-kick that sent her foeman staggering backwards, "Sticks and stones will break bones, but names? They only hurt if I let them!"

The feathered man lowered his hands and cried out, "You'll hurt a lot worse than that, Woman! You've aroused my anger, and for that you shall not be forgiven!"

"Huh?" Ukyo blinked, "You're...you're..."

"His face...he has a beak?" Perfume did a double-take.

"What are you staring at?" the bird-faced man blinked his own eyes as he looked from one incredulous face to the other.

"W-W-What am I staring at...?" Ukyo's voice started to quaver, and then all at once she burst out laughing, doubling over with guffaws as she hugged her ribs with uncontrollable chuckles.

"I don't believe it!" Perfume started laughing, "He looks so silly!"

"Silly?" the bird man reacted, "HOW DARE YOU LAUGH AT ME! FOR THIS I WILL SHOW NO MERCY!"

Again he launched a double handful of feathers at Ukyo, only this time she was laughing so hard that she was unable to rally her defenses. Several feathers struck home, sinking into her skin and hitting vital nerve centers, which paralyzed the hapless chef and brought an abrupt end to her laughter.

"Ucchan!" Perfume cried out.

"C-Can't...move..." Ukyo struggled.

"Of course you can't," the bird man smiled nastily, "And if your friend here doesn't agree to cooperate with me you'll be shishkabobed by my next volley of feathers!

"No!" Perfume cried out, "Don't hurt her!"

"Now that's more like it," the bird man smirked, "Not laughing now, are we? Now you'll play according to my tune, and when you sing you'll acknowledge me as your master."

"Bastard," Ukyo grimaced.

"Anything," Perfume winced, "Just don't hurt her..."

"I won't, just as long as you cooperate," the bird-man crowed, obviously glorifying in his seemingly superior position.

"Perfume," Ukyo spoke up again, "Don't give into him...you're an Amazon, remember?"

"But he'll hurt you, Airen," Perfume responded.

"Doesn't matter," Ukyo summoned up her internal Chi and crossed her arms, narrowing her focus upon the opponent before her.

"What's this?" the feathered man cried out, "Woman...what are you doing? Stop that!"

"Airen?" Perfume blinked her eyes, seeing the Chi-forces that flared up around her beloved.

Ukyo suddenly made a deep-throated cry and then shrugged her muscles and caused the feathers to be ejected from her skin. She then made a number of rapid finger motions before striking an aggressive pose and stared fixedly at her opponent.

"What?" the feathered birdman declared in disbelief, "How can you be moving? Are you even human woman? Take this!"

He launched another assault with his feathers, but this time Ukyo was ready and deflected them, then in two rapid steps she punched him hard in the face and sent him flying backwards to strike a distant post and collapse in a heap, fully unconscious.

"Hah, that'll show him..." Ukyo started to say when she lost her balance and began to tumble from her purchase.

"AIREN!" desperation leant strength to Perfume, who knew that there was only one way to free herself from her entrapment. With a few quick shrugs she wiggled her way out of her clothing and then launched herself into space, intercepting Ukyo before she could fall more than a few feet and tumbling around to get her legs underneath her in order to break their fall on the floor beneath them.

Perfume lowered her beloved to the floor then said, "That was incredibly brave and stupid, Beloved...you didn't have to do that."

"Yes I did," Ukyo mumbled, only semi-conscious, "Damn, if I had my peel...he never...would have nailed me..."

Perfume lowered her face and kissed Ukyo on the cheek, smiling in spite of everything, well secure in the love of the woman stretched out across her lap...

"Nonononononono!" Kodachi cried as she used the nearest object at hand to deflect the advances of the burly dog-man, which-unfortunately for her-was nothing more formidable than a pair of pillows, which same she wielded like Billy clubs, however ineffective.

"Whoohoo?" Wonton asked in obvious confusion.

"You are not the one who is meant for me," Kodachi declared as she stood her ground atop the bed, "I'm sorry, but I am already spoken for, and you do not have the right to take what you want without asking."

"Whoohoo?" Wonton asked again, obviously not getting it in any intelligent manner.

"This is getting us nowhere," Kodachi groaned as she maintained her guard against the man-beast, "It is not that I fail to appreciate what you have to offer...but you are not really my type, or even my species. Do be a good boy and don't offer me any trouble, eh?"

"Whoohoo?" Wanton asked, turning his head as he, too, heard the commotion in the hallway.

All at once the door to his room was knocked flying off its hinges, and then Keiko strode into the room and cried, "Aha! There you are! I wondered where a brute like you had taken my Kodachi!"

"Kei-chan!" Kodachi cried in delight, then to the brutish Wonton she said, "You had better stand down now...it would be a shame to have her hurt you."

"Whoohoo?" Wonton just inclined his head as if trying to make sense of the threat posed by the pigtailed redhead.

"That's right, Dog-breath," Keiko taunted, "Just stand there like a rock and let me show you how I break them!"

And with that she launched a powerful series of straight trajectory sidekicks at the big man's face, only to blink her eyes as he dodged her lightning-fast rapid-fire blows, moving to avoid her with an ease that belied his massive size and burgeoning gait. Before even Kodachi could blink her eyes Wonton stepped in past her guard and shoved a massive paw forward, delivering a palm-strike to her abdomen that sent her flying backwards and doubled her over.

"KEI-CHAN!" Kodachi cried in dismay as the redheaded Kickboxer grunted and struggled to shake off having the wind knocked out from her sails.

"Ngh!" Keiko winced, "You're...faster than you look...but you'll need...to do better than that...if you're gonna stand...between me and MY Kodachi!"

"Oh, Kei-chan," Kodachi felt thrilled and torn with fear of her lover taking another pounding. Wonton was just standing around with a puzzled expression as if wondering what the long-legged girl before him was intending to do next.

Keiko forced herself to take several deep breaths then squared herself into a fighting stance again and said, "I underrated you last time, but this time I'm gonna give you both barrels!"

"Whoohoo?" Wanton just cocked his head and lolled his tongue out with a particularly puppy-like expression.

Keiko summoned her Chi before attacking again, this time going all-out with both legs moving in an incredibly fast series of spinning back and side-kicks, whirling like a top as she lashed out again and again at her opponent, who once again just as easily side-stepped and dodged her assaults before launching his own counter-offensive. This time it was the back of his open hand that gently struck a glancing blow off Keiko chest and face, but the force behind that seemingly mild slap was enough to propel her into the roof as she bounced off the ceiling then ricocheted off one wall before landing in a heap next to the doorway.

"Oh Kei-chan...do be careful!" Kodachi pleaded in anguish, "He's much stronger than he looks, and I don't want you to be hurt trying to rescue me from his clutches."

"Gah...now she tells me..." Keiko groaned ever-so-faintly.

"Whoohoo?" Wanton said again, not pressing his attack at all but standing his ground as if expecting the redhead to get up and play again with him at any moment.

"This...does not look good," Keiko grunted as she forced herself to her knees, looking battered and bruised but a long ways from humbled, "Gotta try something else...this guy's even faster than I am."

"He does seem to be well trained for combat," Kodachi conceded when she blinked her eyes then said, "Trained? He does appear to have the conditioning of a watch-dog, but...what else has he been trained for?"

"Heh," Keiko smirked in spite of her disheveled condition, "He's just an overgrown puppy...he's treating this like some kind of a game...and he's just playing with me, like he isn't really serious."

"Perhaps...that is all he really is at heart," Kodachi got a sly expression on her face then said, "Perhaps he is open to another type of game play. It's worth an experiment...I wonder..." her eyes cast down to a certain cast-off object that the Dog-man had tried to offer her as a present before and the inspiration hit her. She snatched up a ribbon-tied bone and said, "Let me handle things from this end, Darling, while you take a momentary rest."

"Huh?" Keiko asked, "Are you sure about that, 'Dachi-chan?"

"Positive," Kodachi grinned, then said, "Here boy, here boy, come to Momma!"

"Whoohoo?" Wonton shifted his focus back towards his prized playmate then saw her outstretched hand and immediately responded.

"Down boy," Kodachi bade him with a gesture and was gratified to see him sit on the floor with an eager and expectant expression, "Now...shake your paw...that's it..."

Keiko stared in disbelief as the man-brute reached out a hand the size of a melon and let Kodachi hold it by one finger, then shake it in an almost-friendly manner.

"Now roll over," Kodachi made another gesture and the Dog-man obligingly rolled onto his back upon the floor with his tongue lolling outward, then she raised the ribbon-tied bone and gave it a light toss, saying, "Go fetch it!"

"WHOOHOO!" Wonton cried with delight as he scrambled back to his feet and tracked the path of the bone as it sailed out an open window, stumbling upon the ledge as he jumped out and caught the bone between his teeth, and only THEN belatedly recalled that his room was many stories above a steep cliff fall.

"WHOOOOHOOOOOOOOOOOO?" he cried out in dismay as gravity did the rest.

"Well, what do you know," Keiko remarked, "He really was just a big puppy at heart...but wasn't that a little cruel making him fall like that?"

"Not to worry," Kodachi replied, "I'd already investigated the window as an optional source for flight, but I was unable to get past him to effect my own egress. At most he'll fall thirty or forty meters into some dense overgrowth, which should sufficiently break his fall to prevent him being too seriously injured. My pity is for anyone who might be walking underneath that window and not suspecting the danger of falling objects."

"Heh, good point," Keiko grinned, "Clever thinking, 'Dachi...my Mistress."

"Now, let me have a good look at you," Kodachi said as she bounced off the bed and began to study the bruises visible upon the lanky redhead, "You should be more careful with yourself when you come rushing to my rescue, Kei-chan. You are my property, after all, and a Slave should never damage the property of her Mistress."

"I know, Mistress," Keiko smiled, "Will you punish me for being so careless?"

"Maybe later, if I think you deserve it," Kodachi said with a particularly sultry expression, "But you know something...you looked positively dashing coming to my aid as you did. I think you are entitled to a reward for your gallant behavior...and look...we have bed at hand that is ready for use. The servants have even seen fit to change the sheets, though it does smell a bit of dog fur."

"You think we have time for it?" Keiko asked, "After all, Nabiki and the others will be worried."

"There is always time for the sort of reward that I plan on giving you, and allow me the favor of kissing your bruises and making them all better..." Kodachi purred as she was already setting to work on the pleasant task of denuding Keiko of what passed for her garments, her own having by now already been conveniently discarded...

"...And here we are in my abode," Toma said proudly as he showed Breeze into his palace quarters, "My home within my Kingdom, mine now that I rule in the absence of my late father."

"Pretty swank," Breeze noted dubiously, "The rent on this place must set you back quite a bit."

"We do not rent our possessions," Toma replied grandly, "This Palace was created by one of my ancestors many generations ago in exchange for some diamonds and rubies that were themselves the gift of a Mogul. This Island moves about with no fixed pattern, which has given us the ability to live off what we find in the sea, whether shipwrecks or raiders, and we trade what we need from those other islands with which we come in contact. Having little arable land of our own for farming, we must manage to get by with such amenities as the Fates provide us."

"In other words you guys are little better than pirates yourselves," Breeze turned a questioning look over his shoulder, "But what gives with you, Momma? Why are you dressed like that, and what's this stuff about you being his Queen Mother?"

"Patience Child," Lao said with a sad expression, "I've told you many times that you should never judge a situation by mere appearances...and there is a lot more at stake here than you know."

"I will explain it to her, if you don't mind," Toma replied, "Now...if you don't mind, I really do not require a chaperone right now. You have my word as Prince of this Island that no harm will befall your daughter. I merely wish to take a few moments to better acquaint myself with my future Princess."

"Are you sure you want Breeze to fit that role?" Lao asked, "There were more than enough lovely young things in that room from whom you might have selected a bride..."

"And all of them were old enough to be my sisters, if I had any," Toma responded, "A few even could have been my mother. I am more interested in this one because she has a strong will and a mind of her own, plus she has the unique perspective of being both a woman and a man...and I confess that I find her fascinating for that very reason."

"What?" Breeze blinked, "You don't mean you...?"

"Oh, I have no interest in marrying a man, if that is what you are thinking," Toma waved the point dismissively, "Other men may do as they will, but I must marry a bride who can give me children if I am to pass along my heritage, and...as your Mother so kindly informed me...you are unable to resume the role of a man, thanks in large measure to her efforts."

"Yeah, but...I'm kind of young for that, don't you think?" Breeze grimaced.

"There is nothing for you to fear," Toma said pleasantly, "I will not force myself on you, nor am I ready for anything so graphic. I have some knowledge of what is involved in the copulation of men and women, but it seems far too medical and technical for me, and besides, I well know that it will be a few more years before your hips widen enough for the safe delivery of children. No, what I want more than anything right now is not so much a wife as a companion."

"A companion?" Breeze blinked.

"Yes," Toma turned to face her directly, "I have read an expression in one of my father's books that I think applies quite adequately here...it is indeed lonely at the top, and I would like to have someone around who isn't afraid of me or afraid to voice their own mind within my presence. My servants are good men, and loyal beyond question, but they don't really have the nerve to tell me to my face when they think that I am wrong or am in need of being contradicted."

"I didn't think Princes wanted to be contradicted," Breeze admitted.

"You would be surprised at how boring it gets never being able to engage in an argument or to hear an opinion voiced contrary to my own mind," Toma replied, "I can remember having vigorous debates with my own father when I was close to your own age, and I miss having him around for that very reason. No one here will risk angering me, and after a while I've started to wonder if they are just humoring me or even possibly contradicting me behind my back where I cannot hear them. You represent a fresh perspective, and if you are enough like a boy to know the perils of young manhood, then perhaps you can teach me what it means to be a man in other ways...when we both deem it is the right time for such an exploration."

"Ah...that does kind of sound reasonable," Breeze scratched her blue hair and seemed to be thinking it over before turning to glance at her elder, "What do you think, Momma?"

"I think that you are coming near to the age when you will develop your own mind and opinion, Child," Lao replied, "Amazons mature very quickly because our lives force us to confront issues that many landboard Outlander children may never encounter within a lifetime. I do not want to lose you, but if Prince Toma is merely seeking a companion and not a sex partner..."

"These things will take their own time to develop," Toma assured them, "Now, if you don't mind, I would like to talk alone with my future bride. I will call you when I have need of you, Captain."

"If that's the way you want to play it," Lao nodded grimly, "Breeze...remain here, and be on your best behavior. I'll talk with you alone when matters have worked themselves out...but for now...if you don't mind, I have some people whom I need to look up. Or, rather, they should be looking for me about now, and I must talk to them to resolve a potential conflict."

"Those people who rudely forced their way into my Palace?" Toma asked her.

"The very same," Lao replied, "But one pair in particular, and if I don't leave now they might be here at any moment."

"What are you gonna do, Momma?" Breeze asked.

"Attempt to reason with Nabiki and her husband," Lao said as she turned about, "But if that fails, there are always other ways of being persuasive."

"As you will, Captain Lao," Toma acknowledged, "But be mindful of our agreement."

"As if you would let me forget that," Lao grumbled to herself as she grimly strode out of the chamber...

Continued.

Comments/Criticisms/Kraken Correspondence Lists: shadowmane

Not sufficiently Hentai enough for you yet? Don't worry...the scent of Lemon will be in the winds when the next chapter comes down the line as Ranma and Nabiki once again confront Madam Lao and learn the secret behind her strangely obsequious behavior. Be with us next time for: "A Farewell to Alarms," or "Bridge over the River Kawaii!" Be there!

X

If you wish to check out my other works, Please check out my Fanfiction webpage at: . All related chapters of this series can be found there along with my other works.  
/pre 


	23. Chapter 23

preDNabikiTHCh23

Nabiki 1/2

"A Very Scary Thought!"

THE HONEYMOON HENTAI CHAPTERS!

By Jim Robert Bader

Chapter Twenty-Three.

HENTAI ALERT-RISQUE BUSINESS AHEAD!  
WHILE THIS MAY NOT BE ONE OF THE KINKIER CHAPTERS, SOME COMMUNITY STANDARDS MAY APPLY-YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED!

"Are you sure this is the right way?" Ranma asked.

"Positively," Nabiki said as they raced up the stairs together, "Trust me on this, Ranchan...rich, important types like to build upward so they can look down on 'lesser' people from their balconies. This isn't exactly the service entrance, so it's probably made for a Prince, and that's where we'll find Lao and Toma."

"I hope you're right," Ranma-chan declared, "The place is like a maze downstairs...what kind of maniac designed it?"

"Let's hope we don't find out the hard way," Nabiki said as they neared the top of a wide flight of stairs leading onto another level, only to come to an abrupt halt as she found someone waiting for them there.

Ranma saw her too and came to an abrupt halt then said matter-of-factly, "So...there you are."

"Yes," Lao replied, "Here I am."

"Lao," Nabiki looked the slaver up and down, taking in the revealing outfit that flattered the woman's physique but contrasted sharply with her usual style of dress, "You look so...so...so..."

"Stupid?" Lao glanced down at herself, "No argument there, but the Prince insisted I wear this."

"And you're doing what that brat wants you to do?" Ranma-chan asked.

"That's right," Lao replied calmly, "I knew you'd find your way here eventually, Nabiki. Are you and your husband in the mood for a little explanation?"

"No!" Nabiki replied, then launched her attack from the lower stairs, vaulting high into the air and lashing out at Lao, who easily sidestepped her.

"I don't want to fight you this time out, Nabiki," Lao said as she easily stayed out of reach of the latter's power-kicks as Nabiki spun about and launched herself at the pirate, "But I will defend myself if you insist on this foolishness."

All at once a foot impacted with her backside, tumbling Lao forward right into Nabiki, who was quick to take advantage by rolling onto her back and using her own feet to propel the Pirate captain forward into a tumble. Lao recovered at once and broke her momentum with her feet planted against the wall as she righted herself and landed nimbly on her feet, but now she had to contend with a double-coordinated assault aimed her way by both Ranma and Nabiki, who hit at her high and low and forced the Slaver to block rapidly, instantly on the defensive.

"Not too bad," Lao suddenly remarked before she pushed forward and turned her body sideways, sliding through the gap between the two women attacking her to right herself again as she turned to confront them.

"You are coordinating your attacks in sequence this time," Lao mused as she assumed a fighting crouch, "Most impressive."

"Glad you like it," Ranma said, "Forgot there were two of us here, didn't you?"

"Not at all," Lao replied, "This just makes it a more interesting encounter."

"Then we'll try not to disappoint you this time!" Nabiki declared as she launched herself once more at the Slaver, Ranma-chan taking her cue and joining in for a coordinated double-attack that immediately forced Lao on the defensive.

They danced about the floor as Lao tried to circle back to the middle, only to be forced on the edges by the pair of Saotome fighters, Nabiki's long legs and agile body giving her reach that the shorter redhead beside her lacked, though Ranma-chan yielded nothing in terms of speed and raw potential. Together they made Lao work for it defending her guard against kicks and blows that rained in with a speed that was eye-popping, especially in light of the way both Ranma and her wife tended to take the high ground every so often, making full use of the Aerial combat specialty that was the Saotome Ryu.

Lao stoically absorbed this punishment for several minutes before at last going back on the offensive, literally turning aside their best attacks while launching a series of spinning kicks of her own that drove both opponents back from her, Lao's reach being much greater even than Nabiki's. This was not, however, a repeat of their earlier bout, where Lao had clearly commanded the field and quite confidently withstood their best efforts, and her actions seemed to be taxing her reserves much more than before, so before too long she was forced to back off again in order to regain her breath, giving Ranma and Nabiki a chance to stage another comeback.

But then Lao changed tactics, shifted her style and once more went on the offensive. Her movements resembled that of a great predatory beast of the sea operating as if air were the same thing as water, and with the use of her full body she was able to drive her opponents hard to the edge of the stairway, whereupon she got in a lucky strike that sent Ranma-chan pitching backward. Unfortunately that same attack gave Nabiki an opening, and like a shot the latter launched herself into an upward spinning ax kick of the sort that was normally patented by a certain former Air Force colonel.

Lao recovered from a shot to her jaw that all but staggered her back by several paces, giving Ranma-chan time to vault back upon the landing. She studied them now with more respect in her expression than before using two fingers to confirm a slight trail of blood from a split lip before smiling tigerishly at Nabiki.

"Good one," she nodded, "You have improved...both of you, and in such a short amount of time, you're to be congratulated."

"Thank you," Nabiki replied without irony, "We try."

"Give it up, Lao," Ranma-chan retorted, "You may be hot stuff on your ship but here on land you're just another so-so."

"Am I now?" Lao smiled, and all at once she raised a hand and concentrated, moisture congealing in the air around her and forming swirling tendrils of water that whipped around her body like a living tsunami, "I may not have the near-  
infinite reserves of my ship and the Kraken to draw upon while on land, but I am hardly helpless."

Both Nabiki and Ranma shifted their weight and stood cautiously at the ready, their movements unconsciously mirroring one another though neither one had to look to see what the other was doing. That perfect synchronicity appealed to Lao and told her much about why the two of them were now performing like a team, a flawless combination that she silently saluted.

"I'll give you this," Lao noted before unleashing her attack, "You're far more worthy opponents than when the last time you went up against me."

And then the waters she had summoned congealed together, and with a gesture she sent a virtual tidal wave crashing down on them, even as Ranma brought her hands back and made a counter gesture. For an instant the pair were overwhelmed by the tide that flowed over and around them with force enough to sweep them back down the stairway...but when the wall of water passed on by their position the pair remained standing, Ranma's hands still thrusting forward, albeit now he had shifted back to a fully male status. In the space before him a ball of light was revealed, a fiery hot swirl of plasma-like energies that were caused by the now-glowing tattoos on his right arm, even has his expression was itself a mask of tight concentration.

Nabiki, who had instinctively flinched away from the water, was still female and was turning an incredulous look towards Ranma. Lao herself seemed no less surprised, and a new kind of respect was in evidence in her expression.

"You resisted my Tsunami attack?" she marveled, "Incredible...only two other people I know have ever done that."

"Heh...I've learned a few tricks," Ranma smiled, "Including one I just picked up from a friend...care to see how it works, Lady?"

Ranma banished the plasma ball and now gestured with his left hand leading, the tattoos on his arm there now glowing a faint blue coloration. Lao braced herself for this counter offensive, but to her surprise what she sensed was the swirling of moisture vapors forming around her, which caused her a momentary sense of confusion.

"You are trying to use my own powers against me?" she scoffed, "I have ten years experience on you, Boy...your power is nothing when compared to me."

"Oh yeah?" Ranma smirked, "Then how about if I do this?" and with that he used his right hand in a gesture that caused the tattoos there to glow faintly yellow.

All at once the moisture tightened and congealed around Lao, but instead of shrugging it off, the lady Tigress found herself shivering as a cold wave attached itself to her naked areas of skin as ice began to form all around her, small flakes at first, then larger pieces the size of hailstones.

"W-W-WHAT?" the slaver gave out in a quivering voice, "D-D-DON'T-!"

"I can suck heat out of the air just as easily as I make it hot, lady," Ranma replied, "That's a side of the Senkens I never tried out until now...wanna see just how cold I can make it?"

Lao tried to concentrate, to generate a wave of water to melt through the ice, but she was shivering so hard at the sudden loss of body heat that she could not concentrate enough to prevent herself from icing over.

"Give it up, Lao!" Ranma declared, "You've lost this round! On your ship you may have the advantage, but on dry land you're on my turf!"

"Ranchan," Nabiki looked at her husband with admiration, clearly impressed by his performance.

Lao seemed to be struggling for breath as the ice rose up to neck level, and try as she might she could not break free of her imprisonment, so she did the only thing tactically open to her as she chatted out, "I-I-I YIELD!"

"You promise?" Ranma asked, "No tricks? You really do surrender?"

"Y-Y-YES!" Lao felt the ice pressing close to her lips, only to halt abruptly as Ranma relaxed his stance and allowed the cold front to subside all around her.

"Ranchan, you did it!" Nabiki was about to pat him on the shoulder when she suddenly snatched her hand away with a yelp.

"Don't touch me!" Ranma belatedly warned her, "I absorbed all that excess heat, now I've gotta give it back to melt her out of that before she really does freeze up."

And with that he gestured with his hands again, and a wave of fire flowed from his body to surround Lao without touching her, generating enough heat that the ice began to soften and Lao was able to free herself with a mighty shrug of her limbs, freeing all but one leg in a single effort.

Ranma subsided again while Lao went to work chipping away the rest of the ice with her hands, and soon the Slaver stood free again, staring respectfully at Ranma before bowing deeply at the waist and saying, "You have defeated me honorably, young Sir. What would you ask of me now...Master?"

"Hah?" Nabiki gasped as Ranma suddenly did a double-take and became abruptly quite nervous.

"Uh...hey...wait a minute!" he sputtered in protest, "I didn't mean like that..."

"Oh relax, Saotome," Lao straightened up again, "I'm not going to give you the kiss of marriage or anything like that. It's just I now owe you a double favor, so consider me in your debt...and Nabiki-chan...you should have seen your expression just now...it was priceless!"

"Then why don't I find your little joke so amusing?" Nabiki folded her arms and glared at the lady Pirate.

"I said to relax," Lao shrugged her shoulders and rubbed her arms down as though to confirm that they had proper circulation, "That was a good fight, by the way, just the thing I needed to vent a little pent up frustration. You have no idea how disgusting it is to have to do the bidding of a pre-pubescent boy who hasn't even tasted his first time with a woman, and being his 'Queen Mother' for a day was hardly to my liking."

"Then why did you do it?" Ranma asked, "Because he threatened you with that cursed water?"

"I will admit that the idea of being turned permanently into a man is hardly to my liking," Lao replied, "And Toma is all the more dangerous because of his ability to cast convincing illusions, which means he could disguise an attack and I might never see it coming. But no...that is not the only reason for my playing along with his silly, juvenile antics. If it were, then I would have bent the brat over my knee and taken the water away from him before he could even bat an eyelash."

"Then why?" Nabiki demanded, "Why let him jerk you around like a pet on his leash? Why allow your own people to get taken captive and subjected to that bridal mess, and why in the name of the Kami let him have your own SON as his betrothed?"

"All very fine questions," Lao replied, "But I think the answer to your question is right beneath your eyes, if you'd care to notice."

"Huh?" Ranma blinked, "Right beneath..."

"Tell me something, Oh Great Wizard," Lao smirked at him in a suggestive manner that caused Nabiki's eyes to narrow slightly, "Has anything about this island occurred to you that is more than slightly out of the ordinary?"

"Huh?" Ranma looked increasingly puzzled, "Well...aside from the fact that it floats..."

"Bingo," Lao sniffed, turning her focus towards Nabiki, "And answer this question for those who are not Geologically challenged, my dear Nabiki...do islands normally float around and drift with or against normal ocean currents?"

"Of course not," Nabiki scoffed, "But what has that got to do with...?"

"Everything," Lao replied, giving them both a sober nod before adding, "Tell me truthfully if this is true or not, but I've been under the distinct impression that the two of you have quite recently been in mental contact with the Kraken. There's something about the way you mastered coordinated fighting that suggests to me that you had some of his influence."

"Huh?" Ranma stated again, then his eyes got very round and he gasped, "You don't mean..."

"The Kraken is one of the few surviving Niflim who were created by the Greater Powers in times long ancient," Lao replied, "It carries within it the memory of history itself, a great treasure house of knowledge that is ageless, priceless and vast beyond measure," her tone became even grimmer than before as she added, "...And that knowledge includes the times when the world has previously undergone a deluge or catastrophe of one kind or another, whether it is a meteor hitting the Yucatan and spoiling the day for the dinosaurs, or the later catastrophe that befell the ancient empires of Mu and Atlantis. Through him I have learned a great deal about the actual powers that govern all life on this world, such as the existence of other Angels, not least of which is the one trapped beneath this island."

"Another of those monsters lives here?" Nabiki sounded incredulous, "But..."

"It's presence is the reason why there are no women naturally born upon this island," Lao continued, "Think of it as a great turtle upon whose back this island has been shaped over the millennia, but the spring itself at the top of the high mountain, which is this Island's treasury, has been formed above the hump that concentrates the essence of its immortal powers. In effect, this isn't really an island at all, it's a monster roughly two miles across and incredibly ancient, the soil and sand on the surface being merely the detritus that has accumulated over millions of years and been kept fertile by its life force. Thousands of years ago some Polynesians settled on his back and formed a community that has ever since replenished its numbers by kidnapping women to father their children for successive generations."

"And Toma is the descendant of those natives?" Nabiki fathomed.

"Correct," Lao replied, "Or-more precisely-he is the current Avatar representing the noble line of Princes who have governed this island since time immemorial...the ones who keep the Turtle at bay by continuing their bloodline."

"But...what happens if he doesn't have a kid and his line dies off?" Ranma wondered.

"Then...we could all be faced with a potential disaster," Lao responded, "The Turtle slept for countless millennia undisturbed by the passage of seasons, but when people started to live on his back he started to have dreams about them and over the years developed an affinity for these people. There is an ancient rule about Kingship that goes; 'As with the King, so goes the Land...the Land and the King are one, as the King prospers, so prospers the Kingdom,' and so on like that. Believe it or not, that rule seems to hold true of virtually any world leader...as they thrive, so thrives their Kingdoms."

"And as they suffer...the Kingdom suffers with them?" Nabiki felt faintly appalled at where this conversation was going.

"Now you see?" Lao replied, "It's in everyone's best interest that the Turtle continues to sleep undisturbed and dreams his dreams of the Island's inhabitants. If the Prince were to die without an heir, then that dream might come crashing down with a finality that would sink this entire island."

"How do you mean that?" Ranma asked.

"Turtles can dive to very deep depths and hold their breath for a much longer time than most humans," Lao responded, "And I assure you, this Turtle can hold his breath a very long time, much longer than anyone living on the island."

"Well, bad news for them," Nabiki sniffed, "But...are you saying that if the turtle were to wake up...it would act just like your Kraken?"

"It might conceivably travel south and seek out the Angel who dwells on the continent of Antarctica in a place known as the Savage Land, which is a little like Monster Island or the Isle of Pangea, only bigger...much bigger. If that Angel were to awake...then it would be a very bad day for everyone now living on the planet," Lao noted grimly.

"You mean...?" Ranma hesitated to say the words.

"Second Impact," Lao replied, "Which would instantly bring about the melting of the polar ice caps, flooding out vast areas of land now inhabited by humans, while the survivors would be faced with the possibility of mass assimilation through human Singularity, literally being absorbed into the body of the Angel."

"But why?" Nabiki asked, "Why would they do that?"

"Consider life on this world as a vast science experiment being performed by a being whose mind is as vast as the cosmos," Lao replied, "Contrary to the myths and legends about him, that being is far from perfect and tends to make a botch of things on a fairly regular basis, but he keeps trying to get it right, and life as we know it is an attempt at creating a companion who might one day match him in grandeur, giving that being a sense of total completion."

"You mean...Kami-sama?" Ranma hesitated.

"No, I do not," Lao said patiently, "Nor any God or Kami that you or I have ever heard about. All legends and myths are merely echoes and reflections of a greater, primal glory who surpasses the myths which human beings creature to shelter their own minds from the harshness of a reality in which they are but small wheels in a vaster machinery. Man makes Gods in his own image, but the Powers that Be do not conform to human understanding."

"I don't understand," Nabiki replied, "You're saying that there's something greater even than the Gods?"

"Gods are but lesser incarnations and reflections...Anthropomorphisms, if you will, of much greater Archetypes," Lao explained, "The word 'God' is wholly inadequate to describe such a being who might embody reality itself. In Occult terms he would be known as Ain Soph Aur," the great Unknowable and Unmanifested mystery of Jewish Cabalism, to which the Christian God is a mere carnival showman by comparison, and Yaweh himself a traveling snake oil salesman. Buddha was a mere child when compared to such a being, and Allah a mere Revivalist Tent Huckster-Preacher. The closest anyone has come to expressing such a mystery is the Hindu Bhraman, a sort of 'Three-in-one' Triune god whom even the Hindus confess is beyond their understanding."

"Thanks for the theology lesson," Ranma said, "But what has this to do with..."

"As I explained before...this being is a tinkerer attempting to create an intelligence as vast as himself," Lao replied, "On countless worlds throughout this galaxy and others he has planted the seeds of life and watched them sprout and develop, sometimes meddling in relatively minor ways...a shift of a comet here, the alteration of a planetary orbit there, but always with one goal in mind...to harvest the eventual crop that sprouts and matures, to meld them together into a collective mind that could become another Adam Kadmon."

"The great souled Man in the Tarot, huh?" Ranma nodded, not noticing the funny look his wife was giving him at the moment.

"Exactly," Lao smiled, "You're brighter than I took you to be, Saotome. You understand now about the legend of Adam Kadmon?"

"Sort of," Ranma replied, scratching the back of his head, "My big sister told me that he was supposed to be a reflection of God, or Kami-sama, who existed before humans were created, but he got torn apart by demons who were supposed to have scattered his pieces in the stars, or something like that."

"A divine being whose sparks were planted in fertile soil, but sometimes those sparks sprout up and reveal themselves in the light of intelligence and the great souled beings who randomly appear upon this planet," Lao elaborated, "Throughout human history these Bright Lights and Stars have shone themselves in the great scholarly minds or heroic figures who make up our history through their noble deeds and achievements...though the vast majority of bright lights never are too well known by the general public. There have been rare times when a convergence of these minds have existed at the same time on this planet, times when the Earth goes through rapid shifts and changes of planetary evolution, such as in the present."

"You mean...like the late 20th Century?" Nabiki fathomed.

"Correct," Lao nodded, "A time when there are more heroes presently active on our world...more 'Bright Lights,' than at almost any other period within the last few thousand years or so...and with a population of over six billion souls currently incarnated into the flesh at this point, you are talking about an enormously rich harvest. The Angel known as Adam might conceivably draw these souls into himself and become the very being whom the Great One has sought since the creation. Of course it would mean that all of our lives would have to be sacrificed to achieve this...our individuality would be stripped away and we would become a collective mind governed by the central consciousness of Adam, and should that happen..."

"Yikes!" Ranma winced, "I don't wanna know what would happen! I like myself just the way I am, thanks!"

"Same here, Ranchan," Nabiki grimaced.

"So you see my dilemma?" Lao replied, "I have to make certain that Prince Toma does father a son to rule in his place, preferably after a long and productive lifetime...just as my predecessor provided women to his father. It's not that I'm particularly fond of the little runt, but I knew him when he was still a small and impressionable boy, so I don't think of him as a truly bad person, or believe me, I wouldn't be letting him come anywhere near to Breeze, and to hell with the consequences!"

"All right," Ranma said, "But there's something I don't get here...why did he make you out to be his Queen Mother?"

Lao sobered for an instant than glanced down, "Because...I guess I remind him a little of his real mother. A passing resemblance, I assure you, since he was born when I was still growing up in China."

"What happened to his mother anyway?" Nabiki frowned, "Did she...?"

"Oh no," Lao shook her head, "She...is still around, in a manner of speaking...but Toma does not acknowledge his mother in...her...present condition..."

"You mean..." Ranma looked disquieted, "She...turned into a guy?"

"In point of fact a mere Palace guard," Lao frowned, "His father thought such a demotion was a fine gesture of her lowered status, the Bastard."

"Sounds like a real prince of a guy," Nabiki noted darkly.

"Oh, he wasn't really all that bad, as men go, but very chauvinistic and more than a bit full of himself," Lao replied, "The boy tries to imitate his father because that was his only role model for what a Prince is. The rest of what he knows about royalty he got from reading books...there is a whole library full of fairy tales collected from all over the world in his study. The Turtle does tend to get around, I have to give him that..."

"You keep saying he," Ranma pointed out, "How do you know that he is a he?"

"Aside from looking under his tail to make certain?" Lao replied, "I don't...but why else explain why only men reside on this island? It's a bit like ascribing the Great One as a man...personally I'd like to think a woman gave birth to creation...it seems a more natural concept than if a man were the creator...but then again, I'm chauvinistic enough to think that a Woman would have done a better job with the creation."

"Yeah...well...I don't mean to be rude here," Nabiki pointed out, "But your Kraken says that without you we're not going anywhere, and I for one don't want to spend the rest of my days on this island, especially if it means turning into a guy permanently."

"Agreed," Lao replied, "But without the Prince's permission, I am bound to remain here until he dismisses me. I gave him my word of honor."

"You...gave him your word of honor?" Nabiki scoffed, "That can't be worth much!"

"Believe what you will about me," Lao replied, "But I still have some pride as an Amazon, and I refuse to give up what little of my soul remains as a Warrior of the Nyanchiczu. I once promised his father that I would look after his son should I ever again visit this island, and I do intend to keep my word on this particular matter. Once Toma is satisfied that I can leave, however, then I'll gladly leave him to his fate, but not without Breeze. Leaving my son...or daughter...here is not an option."

"Think you can convince Toma to let the kid go?" Ranma asked.

"I can't," Lao smiled at him, "But you can. You have beaten me fairly in battle, which means that I've dispensed my obligation to prevent the Prince from being interrupted. Go and talk to the prince, persuade him that forcing someone to remain here against their will is no more acceptable a practice than when his ancestors began the custom of raiding islands."

"Yeah, I'll show that little squirt not to mess with us," Ranma nodded.

"I'm with you there, Ranchan," Nabiki nodded.

"Not you, Nabiki," Lao directed, "You have more to lose in facing Toma...your womanhood might be forfeit, but Ranma here does not have a problem in that regard, correct?"

"You got that right," Ranma said with grim determination.

"By the way," Lao grinned, "There's something I've been meaning to say here...I love your tailoring. It takes a man truly confident of himself to go into battle dressed as you are?"

"Hah?" Ranma glanced down at himself, then abruptly colored because he still had the same outfit on that he had been wearing as his female half. "Oboy..."

"Why Ranchan," Nabiki could not help herself for saying, "I think you look positively darling."

"Don't let it bother you, Saotome," Lao assured him, "A real man doesn't fret too much about his appearance, and you really don't have the time to change into more appropriate wardrobe, not if you want to catch Prince Toma before he does anything too rash with my daughter."

"Heh...yeah," Ranma nodded, "That's right...I need that water. Nab-chan...you'd better sit this one out, okay?"

"Okay?" Nabiki blinked her eyes, "But-hey, RANCHAN!"

"Let him go," Lao thrust her arm in Nabiki's path and smiled as they watched Ranma race on ahead up the stairs and towards the Palace quarters, "This is one fight your husband has to do on his own, and you know it's for the better."

"For the better?" Nabiki fumed, but then she subsided, "Ah...you're probably right. It's not like I want to become trapped as Kaneda for the rest of my life..."

"And what a tragedy that would be to lose such splendid womanhood as yours forever," Lao openly leered, "Besides which...have you forgotten the child you presently carry within you?"

"Huh?" Nabiki backed away, then unselfconsciously felt her abdomen with both hands.

"You're lucky that fight didn't cause you to suffer any," Lao looked her critically over, "I dare say that you are advancing even more rapidly than I'd imagined. The time may come soon when you will have to decide whether or not you want to keep your baby...or allow me to implant him in another's womb for his or her own safety."

"Ah..." Nabiki glanced away, "There hasn't exactly been a lot of time to...well...think about that..."

"Well, an old Chinese Proverb would apply here then," Lao smirked, "There's no time like the present. Come, sit with me a bit and let's rest our bodies while we chat together and await the outcome of your husband's noble heroics...and I have a question I should like to ask you, if you're in the mood to answer."

"Such as?" Nabiki asked with a dubious expression as she watched Lao motion towards a nearby bench.

"What exactly did he mean about needing to find that water?" Lao puzzled.

"Oh...um...that..." Nabiki blushed slightly, "Well..." and she belatedly began to stammer out a hasty explanation...

"Lotus! Lotus, where are you?" Blossom called out as she frantically searched from room-to-room in search of her missing partner, "Lotus, where in the name of the Gods are you, Darling?"

It was at times such as these that Blossom wished that she had not been born with a slight case of dyslexia, which made it hard for her to reach charts or maps without her partner's constant vigilance in seeing that she did not mess up any of her orders. They were a team...had been since childhood, and the thought of going on without her was simply not to be contemplated. Besides, how could she ever get anything done without Lotus as her watchful guide? It was hard enough just staying on the good side of the Mistress without reverting to total incompetence, and the Blue haired Amazon rather favored her position as second in command of the POJ, just so long as Lotus was at her side for occasional "course corrections."

But now someone had stolen her Lotus, and Blossom was determined to win her back, so she kicked open the doors to ever room that she encountered, her swords in hand and ready to deal justice.

"LOTUS!" she cried as she opened yet another chamber, only to hear the sounds of a man and woman frantically going at it hot and heavy, which made her fear the worst as she rushed into the room and cried, "LOTUS!"

There was a squawk and then a hasty, "DO YOU MIND?" from a girl who most definitely did not have bright Cherry Pink hair and most certainly was NOT Lotus!

"Ooops," Blossom said sheepishly as she backed away, "Never mind...wrong room...carry on!"

"The nerve of some people," the guard on top of the girl complained.

"Ignore her," the girl under him smiled as she drew him down for a second helping, "Just keep right on what you're doing, Stud, I'm not complaining..."

In spite of feeling bad about occasionally disturbing someone else's fun, Blossom pressed on until at last she found the right room, and she burst in with her butterfly swords at the ready, striking a dramatic pose as she saw Lotus sitting down with a total stranger, even as Blossom cried, "Unhand her you...man?"

"Well, took you long enough," Lotus smiled at her, then indicated the fellow sitting across from her, with whom she was sipping tea and quite apparently having a pleasant conversation, "Blossom, this is Shugo, Shugo, this is my ranking officer and partner in adventures, Blossom."

"How do you do?" Shugo tipped his head to her politely.

"Shugo is one of the guards in the palace," Lotus explained, "He was helping to explain to me some of the island history and the reason why they constantly need to import more women to replace the ones who get turned into men, such as the Prince's former Queen Mother."

"Um..." Blossom felt enormously foolish to still be standing in the same combat pose, so she straightened up and said, "You're all right? He hasn't tried to force himself on you or anything like that?"

"No, silly," Lotus turned an affectionate grin in her direction, "He's been a perfect gentleman the whole time. Well...other than the way in which he carried me off, but he wanted to take me out of there before any of his fellow guards tried anything. After all, he used to be a woman himself before the waters of this island eventually turned him into a man."

"Yes," Shugo replied, "Tragic that...I had one son, who's now about five or six years old and is presently in our Day Care Center being attended to by volunteers on duty. I tried real hard to avoid being cursed by those accursed waters, but with little naturally occurring water on this damned island, we have to import a lot of it, and there's rationing and everything. One day I just got a little too thirsty, and before I knew it I'd drunk the wrong water. The stuff permeates everything here, and it's just a matter of time before it affects you as well unless you leave this place before that can happen."

"Ah...I see," Blossom replied, "Well then...no hard feelings?"

"None at all," Shugo replied, "I think it's very brave of you coming to the rescue of your friend like that..."

"Oh, she's brave enough...when she has to be," Lotus gave Blossom a winsome smile, which same made the blue haired Blossom feel a bit better, "Problem is, she sometimes needs to be pointed in the right direction, which is where I come in. We're a team, you know, inseparable through thick and thin."

"It's good to have a friend like that," Shugo nodded when suddenly another man came bursting into the room, brandishing a spear and immediately causing Blossom to go back on the defensive.

"YOU!" he cried, "What are you doing here in this room? How dare you!"

"Nolan?" the guard named Shugo turned to the other guard with a look of surprise.

"Shame on you, you shameless hussy!" Nolan snapped, "What is the meaning of inviting these women into our room like this? Are you trying to start something?"

"I'm not trying to start anything!" Shugo protested, "We were just having a pleasant conversation when you burst in here pointing that spear like a maniac."

"A likely story!" Nolan flared, "You've gotten tired of me, you're trying to get rid of me, aren't you?"

"Don't be ridiculous," Shugo insisted, "No one is trying to get rid of you, you're just being paranoid."

"Oh, so now I'm paranoid, is that it?" Nolan snorted, "How can you treat me like this? Don't I mean anything to you anymore?"

"Um...excuse me?" Blossom asked, by now totally bewildered.

"Of course you mean something to me, Nolan dearest!" Shugo got to his feet and held out his hands in a non-threatening manner, "Don't you know that you're the only one for me? I wouldn't have anyone else beside you, no matter what else happens in our lives."

Nolan rested the butt end of his spear on the floor and leaned on it, "Of course you say that now, but if some younger thing comes traipsing into your room..."

"I wouldn't even notice if he existed," Shugo insisted as he edged closer to the other man and put a reassuring hand on his shoulder, "Now with you there beside me. Besides, how could I replace the man who makes me feel so special? You know that you're the one I think about at night..."

"How can I believe you?" Nolan asked, "How do I know you're not reverting to some...Heterosexual or something? If these women are any evidence of what you are capable of becoming..."

"I was just trying to keep the pink haired one out of harms way," Shugo explained, "There's no harm in that, right? And I used to be a woman too..."

"Don't remind me," Nolan seemed more mollified about this point and stood more at ease, his focus entirely centered upon Shugo.

Blossom felt Lotus's hand touch her arm and almost jumped in surprise, but when she saw her friend make a shushing noise with a finger she caught on and allowed herself to be drawn out of the chamber and back into the hallway, even as the two men started to cuddle up and hug one another, with clear evidence that even more intimate things were soon to follow.

"Let's just leave these two to work things out between them, shall we?" Lotus urged.

"Good thing too," Blossom shook off her slight daze, "If I saw any more of that I'd probably have gotten a nose bleed."

"Poor baby," Lotus smiled in a suggestive manner, "When we get back to the ship I'll kiss it and make it all better."

"A good point," Blossom reminded, "I don't want to stay around here and possibly have...that happen to the both of us."

"Me neither," Lotus agreed, "By the way, it was very sweet of you to come to my rescue like this, how ever can I thank you?"

"By telling the Mistress that it wasn't my fault," Blossom replied, "If you hadn't been carried off, I wouldn't have had to abandon my post and leave Jasmine and Maki in charge."

"WHAAAAT?" Lotus turned a horrified expression her way, "You didn't...!"

The sounds of a dull explosion rang out from down below, and the palace shook slightly as if from a mild earth tremor.

"You did," Lotus resumed, hurrying up her pace, "Come on, we've got get down there and stop them from wrecking the whole place!"

"It wasn't my fault!" Blossom all but wailed, "I just know the Mistress is going to punish us for this!"

"Only if we're lucky," Lotus shivered, hurrying up her pace in order to head off total disaster...

"That's your mother?" Breeze asked as she stared up at a portrait that hung over the fireplace mantle.

"Yes," Toma replied as he studied the image of a beautiful woman dressed in a long gown and resting a small boy across her lap, "I often wonder what she must have been like while she was a woman, and before my father banished her from his presence. Did she love me? Was she a good woman, a good mother? So many things I don't know about my early years, before my father died and left me to rule as Prince of this island."

"That does sound tough," Breeze conceded, "I often wonder what my real father must have been like before my Momma ate him. She makes it seem like he was really two people, a nice guy on the surface, a bad man underneath this."

"Your mother...ATE your father?" Toma turned a disquieted expression towards his intended bride.

"Yeah, well...it wasn't really all her fault," Breeze explained, "He made her do it...he's the one who cursed her to turn into a Tiger. That was before Momma learned how to control her curse and get over having these animal instincts. You see...Dad wooed my Mom by pretending to be a nice guy, but then he turned around and enslaved her..."

"That sounds...rather unpleasant," Toma said as he regained his bearings, "I had no idea that Lady Lao's life was that complicated."

"Well, Momma tries to do the right thing...most of the time," Breeze amended, "But I know she also does a lot of bad stuff, because she says its necessary, like kidnapping women and turning them into sex slaves. Most of the women I know are really nice people, and most of them are glad that Momma brought them on board the POJ, but...I know Momma herself isn't always too happy about it. She says she's doing what she can to make the world a better place, but I have to wonder...is it a good thing to make people into sex slaves?"

"I wouldn't know myself," Toma conceded, "My ancestors have been raiding islands for their women for countless generations. If we did not, then we would all have died off in a single generation."

"Yeah, that does sound tough," Breeze frowned, "But why put up with it? You could go and live someplace else, somewhere that doesn't force you guys to live without women."

"Where would we go?" Toma shrugged, "This island is our home. Besides, I very much doubt if those places which we have raided for centuries would be very happy about taking us in as refugees. No doubt a few old scores would be settled long before we could settle in to a new existence. No, better to rule as Prince here than to be someone else's imported riff-raff."

"Yeah, I see what you mean," Breeze conceded, "Well...then why don't you just destroy the spring that turns women into guys then?"

"Destroy our sacred treasure?" Toma bristled, "It would be sacrilege! Besides, the waters would eventually replenish themselves from the sap of the Great Tree that dominates the center of our island. At best destroying our spring would be a temporary solution."

"Hmmm...that does sound like a tough one," Breeze ran her tiny fingers through her pale blue hair and tried to look thoughtful.

"You will get used to things over time," Toma nodded, "And when you see, as I have, that nothing can be changed about the world into which we are born, then life itself becomes a whole lot simpler and easier to deal with."

"Oh, you think so, huh?" Breeze smiled slyly.

"I know so," Toma said confidently, but then a new question occurred to him as he asked, "Is it true that you've lived most of your life on board your mother's ship?"

"Huh?" Breeze blinked, "Well...more or less. I was born in China but I can't really remember a time when I wasn't living on board the POJ..."

"I have never lived anywhere else besides this island," Toma replied, "I sometimes visit other places, but we never stay long enough to truly become acquainted with the people we raid. I only know about distant place by what I read in books...I would dearly love to visit some of the great cities that I have heard about. There are so many wonders which I have never seen...and I confess that the thought of living on a ship as large as your POJ sounds like a very exotic existence."

"Oh, it's all right," Breeze thought about it a moment then said, "I'm not sure I could get used to this living on land business. Having ground that stands still under your feet just seems...weird somehow, not natural...know what I'm saying?"

"I'm not sure that I do," Toma replied, turning to smile at the blue haired girl before him, "But I would like to have the opportunity to do so. I confess that I do find you fascinating, and not just because of what you are or what you were either. There is such an energy about you, a life and vibrancy so different from the people who raised me. I think with you at my side I could be a much better, wiser ruler over my own people, and if Captain Lao relents to permit us to marry..."

"Whoah, wait a minute," Breeze said, "Don't you think you're rushing things here a little bit? I'm just a few years younger than you, and we're both still kids! Who says we gotta marry anybody right here and now?"

"The law...unfortunately," Toma said sadly, "I must wed before I fully ascend to the throne. It is an annoying provision, I will admit, but I am duty bound to maintain the traditions of my people."

"Yeah?" Breeze said, "And just how much do you know about marriage? You even know what you're supposed to do with a woman on your honeymoon?"

"Well..." Toma faltered and ran his fingers through the hair on the back of his head, "Actually...the books which I have read on that subject are...a bit short on details...but I'm sure we will both figure it out..."

"I don't have to," Breeze replied, "I've been raised to know about such things nearly all of my life. Yeah, it seems a bit messy and gross, but the women who raised me seem to enjoy that kind of stuff a lot, so I guess I will too one of these days...when I get older. Mom keeps insisting that girls shouldn't sleep with guys until they're mature enough to handle the stress it puts on their bodies."

"Really?" Toma seemed fascinated by this revelation, "And...what do men do with their wives? That is something neither my father nor my Servants will tell me."

"Probably because they don't know much about it themselves," Breeze scoffed, "Most guys don't, you know...it's not as instinctive for you as it is for us girls. We learn by copying the example of others, and I've seen plenty of Mushy stuff being done to figure out the parts that I'm missing. After all, Mom's job is to train girls on how to please guys, and while I don't really understand even half of it, I've got a pretty good grasp of the basics."

"And would you consider doing it with a man...when you are older?" Toma asked her.

"Um...well..." Breeze faltered, looking less certain as she conceded, "I...guess..."

"Come, let me show you something," Toma said as he offered the younger girl his hand, which Breeze took with only a moment of reluctance.

Toma led the way to one corner of his palatial chamber then stood before a pedestal upon which he placed a coin-shaped object in a circular slot, then smiled as a rumbling noise signified a massive motion taking place underfoot. To Breeze's surprise and amazement a section of the wall and floor slid away to reveal a massive pit leading down into the very heart of the mountain into which the Palace itself had been constructed.

"What is that?" Breeze asked as she stared into the maw of darkness that looked before them.

"This is Togenkyu's sacred well, from which is drawn our holy water," Toma revealed, "It is both our treasure and our curse, the waters that can change anyone into a man, created from the sap that drips from our holy tree and the reason why our Island nation has no native-born women."

Breeze shuddered slightly as she hesitantly gazed into the pit, then shied away again. Toma studied her reaction with some amusement and asked, "What is wrong? Didn't you say that you were born a man?"

"Yeah...but I haven't really been one for a while now," Breeze replied, "Mom has a strict policy against men staying on board the POJ on any long-term basis, so she insists I stay a girl, and I'm pretty much used to that by now. I sure don't want to lose my ability to be a girl forever."

"Agreed," Toma replied, "And if you became a man permanently, then we could not wed and you could not provide me with children. I only showed this as a token of my trust in you, that you understand why it is so important that I have a queen who can help me to rule this island justly and fairly. I'll understand if you have some reluctance on account of this, but I want you to know why I do what I must do. I would rather have you for a friend and an ally...you have much that you could teach me about yourself and about the world outside our limited borders. It may even be that you could teach me something of what it means to be a woman."

"Um...I don't really know..." Breeze said dubiously, "I mean...you're nice and all that, and maybe I do understand a little bit about why you feel you need someone to marry...but are you sure about this? I mean...I'm only a girl because of magic."

"But are you happy being a girl?" Toma asked.

"Well...yeah," Breeze shrugged, "But I haven't been a boy often enough to really know if there's all that much difference."

"Still...if you became a man at some later point, would it affect you as much as it might a girl who had never been before a man?"

"Um..." Breeze scratched her head and had to really think about that one, "I don't really know...could you explain that to me a little better?"

Toma and Breeze exchanged looks in silence for several long seconds, and then a slight chuckle arose from both of their throats, becoming a full laugh a moment later as the both of them saw the humor and absurdity in the situation.

Toma was the first to sober enough to speak coherently, "I do believe I worded that one badly. My apologies, I meant to ask for something which you naturally could not predict within yourself."

"Hey, it's all right," Breeze replied, "I think I know what you meant to say, and yeah...it would be a pretty strange thing if I got cursed to be a guy all of the time. A real girl might freak, but me? I don't really know how I'd feel. I'm used to being a girl after all, it be strange if I wasn't."

"Just so," Toma nodded, "My point was to test your feelings regarding the risk that would be posed to you by staying upon this island. I would much prefer you to remain as you are, but if that should change, I would sill find you an interesting companion."

"That's nice to know, but I really haven't said that I want to stay with you," Breeze conceded, "I mean...you're not such a bad guy, but still..."

"But still you would miss being with your mother and the people who love you," Toma reasoned, "I think I would feel the same way if I had to leave this island. Togenkyo is my home, these are my people, and I am their Prince...I have an obligation to put their welfare before my own."

"Yeah, well...it's nothing personal against you," Breeze replied, "But I'm not ready to settle down. I'm still just a kid...heck, we both are."

"I agree," Toma replied, "Which is why we should proceed more cautiously than to rush into the breach. May I let you in on a little secret?"

"Yeah?" Breeze asked.

"I, too, am not in any great hurry to be married," Toma replied, glancing away, "Part of what interested me about you is that you are closer to me in age than any of those women were whom my people selected for me. I do not think I would feel comfortable marrying a woman who was many years my senior, or even old enough to be my big sister as well as my wife. I firmly believe that a man should have the respect of his wife, not be patted on the head and told what time to go to bed or when to have my supper."

"Hey, but you're the Prince," Breeze pointed out, "Can't you say when you get to go to bed and stuff like that?"

"You would think that I could decide such things," Toma replied, "But many parts of my day are pre-planned and scheduled for me by my servants. You would be amazed at how tedious and boring so much of it can be, and I would rather fill my day by having someone beside me who could make like much more interesting. You were right before to say that I was bored and looking for amusement by holding that bridal contest, but I never thought to see it as my imposing my will upon those women...not until you pointed that out to me. That is why I think it could work out for us...that perhaps you may be as much of a guide to me as my future bride and princess."

"Well..." Breeze glanced back at the pit, "Maybe we could be friends and all that...but I'd need time to think about this. I mean...I only just met you, I can't exactly rush into stuff like this, and I'm pretty sure Momma wouldn't like it either."

"I can speak with your mother and work out a deal that may be to your liking," Toma reached out and took Breeze by her shoulders, looking at her seriously at nearly eye-level, "But until that time, I will ask that you not divulge the whereabouts of this sacred spring. It must be a trust that is held between us."

"Hey, you think I'd wanna tell people where this thing is?" Breeze felt very odd as she stared up into the face of the older boy, "I can't even imagine anyone wanting this stuff. I know it's important to you, though, so..."

"AHAH!" a voice suddenly broke in on their private conversation, "So that's where you've been hiding this so-called Well of Manhood, huh?"

"Who dares?" Toma turned around to confront the short redhead who had just addressed him, "Who are you, woman?"

"The name is Lina Inverse," she replied, "And I'm sufficiently curious about this well of yours that I'd like to acquire a sample, if you don't mind. It might have magical properties that could come in useful..."

Before she had even completed her sentence a chilling laugh filled the air, and all at once a well-stacked brunet alighted on the floor beside the shorter Lina, bouncing in an eye-catching manner as she struck a pose and adopted an imperious demeanor.

"How true!" she declared, "And what Lina wants is of interest to me, Nagha the White Serpent. Hand over the water, Prince, and no one here will get hurt."

"Nagha," Lina said irritably, "Do you mind? I wanted to do this my way..."

"How dare you?" Toma bridled, "How dare you burst into my chamber and make these demands upon me? You risk my wrath by coming here and attempting to threaten me, and in the presence of my future bride no less!"

"Calm down, Prince," Lina made a deflecting gesture, "You don't want to start anything with me. I'm just here for the water..."

"And beside which," Nagha pointed out, "We are powerful sorcerers...there's nothing you can do that could hold a candle to what we could do to you, little man."

"Is that so?" Toma growled, and suddenly his eyes started to glow with fire, and Breeze found herself taking a step backward as the hackles on the back of her neck stood on end as she sensed that SOMETHING was about to happen...

"Where the heck is that little twerp?" Ranma growled as he rounded yet another flight of stairs, finding a door blocking his path, "This better be it this time, or I swear I'm gonna..."

All at once he felt something go "FWUMP!" on the other side, which caused Ranma to fall into a defensive crouch as the wave of vibration rang out alarm bells on his Chi-sensitive senses.

"What the heck was that?" he asked, taking a more cautious approach to testing the doors, which-he was surprised to discover-were not locked against his passage.

Edging his way into the room he carefully scanned the insides, discovering the lavish furnishings of an ornately adorned palace, but-more to the point-the pair of crumpled forms, both unmistakably female-huddled on the floor with bodies locked in positions that implied some traumatic action. Other than that they seemed perfectly fine, so he approached cautiously and only belatedly saw Toma and Breeze at the opposite end of the chamber, standing before an open cave of some curious nature.

"And who are you?" Toma asked as he turned attention to the new intruder.

"Me?" Ranma replied, "I'm Saotome Ranma, and I'm here to ask for some of that water you've got here."

"What, again?" Toma reacted, "And why would a fool like you have any need of that?"

"That's none of your business!" Ranma bridled, "Look...I don't want any trouble, but I gotta insist you turn over the water and the girl. Her Mom wants her to come with her, and she won't leave without her, and since she's our only ticket out of here..."

"You speak on behalf of the Captain?" Toma frowned, "By what right?"

"Hey, I beat her fair and square," Ranma said, "That means she ain't gotta do what you tell her to do any more, and she owes a favor to me!"

"You beat Momma?" Breeze blinked, "How?"

"Hey, I'm a fast learner," Ranma smiled, "Nabiki and me figured out what we were doing wrong the first time and fixed it."

"Commendable," Toma sniffed, "You are still a presumptuous interloper, and I know how to deal with your ilk!" He drew his sword and made a sweeping gesture, and all at once a wall of flame filled the air and lanced out at Ranma, who stood his ground and did not try to avoid it.

"Ranma!" Breeze called out, "No, don't hurt him!"

"Eh?" Toma looked at her in puzzlement, "You know this fellow? What is he to you?"

"A friend, nothing more than that," Breeze insisted, "It's just that he's not a bad guy and...huh?"

"Eh?" Toma turned back to Ranma, following Breeze's expression, and as he did so he stammered in disbelief, "N-No way! It's impossible! How can you still be standing!"

"The jokes on you, Punk!" Ranma smiled, "The same trick won't work on me twice! It's just an illusion, right? If I close my eyes and concentrate, it can't really hurt me!"

"H-How could you know that?" Toma gestured at the two fallen Sorceresses, "No one can resist the power of my illusions!"

"Somebody can, and you're looking at him," Ranma smirked, raising his arms, "Now...let's see how you like a taste of your own medicine, Jerk!"

All at once flames leaped from Ranma's fingers to surround the Prince, but this time it was no illusion, and those flames took the shape of a womanly form, one who smiled and flirted with the cringing Toma, not touching him with her flames but giving him a taste of what could happen if she did so in earnest.

Ranma banished his flames and said, "That's just a sample of what I can do if you get me mad, Prince. I won't hurt you, though, if you turn over the girl and give me a sample of the water."

"You may be powerful," Toma replied, "But you are still a commoner and a ruffian if you think you can order me around," and with that Toma launched an attack with his sword, one that Ranma easily dodged before returning in with an Amaguriken attack.

Much to Ranma's surprise, as Toma fell back on his defenses, the one who got hammered by the rapid-fire punches he launched against the Prince was none other than Ranma himself, who went flying backward from the cumulative impact.

"No!" Breeze cried, "Stop fighting!"

"Who is fighting here?" Toma smiled, "The fool may know a few tricks, but he still falls pray to my most simple of illusions."

"Gah...I don't believe it," Ranma said as he forced himself back up into a sitting position, "Somehow you made me punch myself out!"

"So, you do have a brain," Toma replied, "But figuring that out and countering my illusions are two very different things, as you will discover if you persist in this foolishness."

"Heh," Ranma smiled as he got back to his feet, "Nice try, Prince, but I know a few neat tricks of my own. You ain't dealing with just any Martial Artist here, you're up against a Master of the Senkens."

"Then Senkens?" Toma asked curiously, "What is that?"

"Just watch and you'll find out, Kid," Ranma assumed a crouch much like that of a crab on two legs, hunching down his shoulders and seeming to make himself small...before his outline faded out altogether.

"What?" Toma was surprised by this, "An illusion? But-how-?" all at once the sword was snatched out of his hand, and he turned in amazement to find Ranma standing beside his left shoulder.

"Wanna see me do it again?" Ranma asked, then faded out once more, only to reappear once again in the place where he had been previously standing, holding the sword in one hand, the gourd that Toma had carried in the other.

"Impossible..." Toma exclaimed, "How could you do that? Where did you learn to cast such effective illusions?"

"Same way you did, from my old man," Ranma tossed the sword back to Toma and said, "I got lots more tricks where that came from, but there ain't no point in us continuing this, now that I've got the gourd. Now...the kid comes with me, agreed?"

"I do not agree to any such thing," Toma replied stiffly, "You may have the gourd, if that is what you crave, but Breeze is mine to claim, my bride to be, and you cannot have her."

"Ain't your call," Ranma said, turning to Breeze herself, "What about it, Breeze-chan? You wanna stay here or come with me? Your Mom's waiting downstairs, and she said she ain't leaving without you."

"I...I..." Breeze suddenly was struck with a moment of hesitation.

"Breeze," Toma turned to her in surprise, "Don't you want to stay with me?"

"It's not that," Breeze replied, "I mean...you're nice and all that, but..."

"I don't believe this!" another voice cut in, "You mean to say that sawed off little runt fooled me with a cheap illusion?"

"Calm down, Lina," Nagha tried to be reasonable, "He got both of us with that spell, but there's no reason to be angry."

"LIKE HELL THERE'S NO REASON!" Lina flared, "What about my pride as a Sorcerer? What about my pride as a WOMAN!"

"What are you getting upset about, Woman?" Toma turned a puzzled look towards the leather clad redhead, "You attacked me and fell for my simplest of illusions."

"THAT'S IT, BUSTER!" Lina began rolling up her metaphorical sleeve, "You're history for that one!"

"Oh hell!" Nagha winced, "LINA!"

"Huh?" Ranma asked, only to feel the hackles rise on his neck and right tattoo, which meant that the redhead was summoning up her elemental Chi for a major-  
league fire spell, "Uh oh..."

Continued.

Comments/Criticisms/Dragonslave Relief Fund: shadowmane

The final conclusion to the Honeymoon Hentai series is at hand as Nabiki and Lao have a private chat together, and then the fireworks really begin! Be here next time for: "Burning Down the House," or "The Better Halves Have Not!" Be there!

X

If you wish to check out my other works, Please check out my Fanfiction webpage at: . All related chapters of this series can be found there along with my other works.  
/pre 


	24. Chapter 24

preDNabikiTHCh24

Nabiki 1/2

"A Very Scary Thought!"

THE HONEYMOON HENTAI CHAPTERS!

By Jim Robert Bader

(Inspired by the works of Rumiko Takahashi and a host of others who I might very well name here, but what did they ever do to me that I should punish them with the blame and credit?)

Chapter Twenty-Four.

HENTAI ALERT-NAUGHTY SITUATIONS AHEAD!  
CONTAINS SCENES WHICH MAY BE LEWD AND HIGHLY SUGGESTIVE, IF OUT OUTRIGHT PERVERSE,  
AND SOME PEOPLE GET REALLY FUNNY IDEAS OVER THAT, IF YOU KNOW WHAT I'M SAYING.  
THIS STUFF IS MEANT TO IMPLY CONSENSUAL GROPING, KINKINESS AND GENERAL TOMFOOLERY;  
ANY RESEMBLANCE TO THE WAY PEOPLE USUALLY BEHAVE IN REAL LIFE IS PURELY COINCIDENTAL.  
YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED!

Shampoo was feeling frustrated, and not for the usual reasons. It had been in her mind to go and assist Ukyo in liberating Perfume from the clutches of the one who had abducted her cousin, but by the time she got there matters had already been resolved in a satisfactory manner. Perfume had a semi-conscious Ukyo in her lap and was gently "reviving" the chef through some tender loving affection, which Shampoo had decided was strictly their own business...at least for the moment.

Then a loud explosion and a burst of Chi that went literally off the dark end of the scale had drawn her immediate attention, but by the time Shampoo had arrived and the battlezone (easily determined by the absence of one wall in the corresponding chamber) matters had once again been firmly taken in hand, and Akane was applying some remedial Tender Loving Care to a battle-weary Ryoga. Again not wanting to intrude, Shampoo had quietly left them to sort things out and went in search of someone who might genuinely need her assistance.

That was when she had stumbled across Keiko and Kodachi...well...the less said there the better, though Shampoo had to allow that those two did seem to enjoy playing games of domination a lot, and how odd that someone as self-aware and assertive as Arigami would so willingly submit herself to being affectionately "punished" by a crazy girl like Kodachi. Sometimes she truly wondered about those two, and those rare times when she thought she did understand them worried her deeply.

Almost desperate to find something to do at this point, Shampoo had next come across her former fellow countrywomen, Lotus and Blossom, but again they seemed to have resolved whatever difficulties they had been facing and were off in their own private world, eyeing each other like newlyweds while making lewd suggestions. In fact the mere sight of them gave her a childhood flashback to her own fond memories of time spent in innocent frolicking with her first female lover, Lotion.

Of course the net result of these encounters was that Shampoo had a sudden desire to seek out her Airen and do something other than run around blindly all about this preposterously designed palace!

That idea in mind, she did what came natural to any Amazon who got particularly horny, she did exactly what her instincts demanded and followed the trail left by Nabiki and Ranma, also easy to spot for the number of unconscious bodies they left sprawling in their passage.

After climbing yet another flight of stairs she at last came to a level where she did indeed find her missing Nabiki, but much to her surprise she saw her Airen sitting down on a bench with her back to a wall, and close beside her was none other than Shampoo's renegade cousin, Lanocane. Shampoo checked her forward momentum and opted instead for stealth as she approached these two, seeing the both of them were engaged in serious conversation, which intrigued her to no end and prompted Shampoo to play the eavesdropping spy...just to be sure Cousin Lao did not try anything too perverted with her Airen.

At the same time, unknown to Shampoo herself, yet another set of eyes were focused on the pair sitting quietly on the bench, with ears perked up that were infinitely sharper even than Perfume's own catlike hearing as Martha Kent eased into a position of concealment and watched with curiosity, having already caught a portion of what was being exchanged between the Martial Artist and the Slaver...

FIVE MINUTES BEFORE SHAMPOO'S ARRIVAL...

It was truly a bizarre situation that Nabiki found herself in as she and Lao sat down together, watching Ranma go charging off for a private confrontation with Prince Toma. Nabiki was very conscious of the fact that neither she nor the Pirate Slaver were dressed in modest wear, and the thought immediately crossed her mind that Lao might try to pull something on her without her invitation. Though Lao had conceded their recent battle, the war between them was a long ways from truly ended.

"Are you serious?" Lao looked at Nabiki with a sidelong expression of frank amazement, "You think Ranma's recent bout of femininity might be a permanent curse instead of a temporary one?"

"That's what we figured," Nabiki shrugged, "Given what Lotus said about you keeping a bottle of the permanent stuff in your cabin..."

"Which Blossom might have mistaken for the permanent kind," Lao finished for her, resting her head for a moment in the palm of one hand as she massaged her temples and murmured, "Blossom...I do love her like a sister, but there are times when she and Lotus both try my patience. Still, there might not be as much to be concerned on here as at other times. It is true that I store the Temporary Instant brand of Nyanniichuan in its powdered form to preserve its potency, I had brewed a batch of the stuff the previous night, so there is at least a fifty-fifty chance that my First Officer took the correct one..."

"You think so?" Nabiki sat upright.

"Well...this is Blossom we are talking about," Lao conceded, "And that may skew the odds a bit against your husband's favor, but we can determine the particulars of this when we see Lord Ranma again in a few more minutes. I am sufficiently confident of his prowess to assume that he will smoke Prince Toma's ass and be back here before we have time to finish this conversation."

"Oh," Nabiki remarked a bit blandly as she absorbed this, "But...what then will we do with the man-changing water?"

"I'm sure we'll think of something," Lao patted Nabiki on the knee, "Assuming he doesn't waste it by dousing himself immediately with Toma's personal supply of the stuff."

"Um..." Nabiki glanced down at the hand that had just patted her, wondering if she should make it into an issue.

"Now then," Lao resumed in a conversational tone of voice, "I suppose you are also wondering why I wanted this chance to talk with you alone, given all the momentous things that are presently going on around this palace, not least of which being the welfare of my son-turned-daughter."

"Ah...I don't really see what else there is to talk about," Nabiki replied, "Unless you're going to try and convince me once again that you're really a nice guy and that slavery is for the health and well being of your women..."

"Your sarcasm is duly noted and appreciated," Lao replied, "But I am done with self-justification and rationalizing my life style for you. I am more interested in knowing about the state of your feelings and what your plans are for the future."

"Huh?" Nabiki blinked, "What do you mean...?"

"Well, take for example the child you carry," Lao pointed out, "Assuming you have chosen to have it carried to term, who have you selected as yet to be the one who actually does the hard work of delivering your baby?"

"Huh?" Nabiki winced, "Are you kidding? Who could I ask to do a thing like that? Ukyo and Shampoo are just recovering from their own pregnancies, Perfume is out of the question, and if anybody even suggests that Ranchan should be the one to do it, I'll go hard up against the side of their fool heads..."

"Are you certain about this?" Lao asked, "You should at least consider that as an option. After all, he is biologically compatible with his own baby, and while the idea may initially shock him, I think he has proven to be highly adaptable and might even come to enjoy the experience of being a mother."

"That isn't funny," Nabiki said flatly, "I'd rather be the one to carry my own kid...but...that doesn't seem too likely, huh?"

"I wish that I could tell you otherwise," Lao made a placating gesture, "I was able to lock Breeze into her female form because that just meant intensifying the degree of her curse, and I could unlock that spell at any time of my preference. But you are probably right to be concerned about the proposal of Ranma being the one who carries your baby. No man can be expected to understand the hardships involved with pregnancy, it is counter-intuitive, even allowing that a curse can modify one's state of mind to make the cursed state feel perfectly normal."

"But that's assuming he still has his curse," Nabiki pointed out, "And if it turns out he's only got the temporary kind..."

"Then we'll have to think of someone else who can have your baby," Lao paused, eyeing Nabiki sidelong, "You do want it, right? I mean...you are adjusted to the idea that you are going to be a mother at the tender age of eighteen, which might seem like middle age to an Amazon, but must seem to be occurring at the prime of your youth, right when you could reasonably be expecting to move on to college."

"Ah...that I'm not so sure about," Nabiki ran her fingers through her hair, "I mean...sure, I want to have a baby with Ranma, but the timing could be better. I mean...there's a lot involved in having a kid, and having little Lylac alone has taught me a lot about what it means just being a father. Ranchan was even starting to feel a little bit neglected about the time I was spending with Shampoo, but between this kid, Ucchan's Fragrance and my first daughter...it's looking like I may need to get a good family financial planner just to set them up for their own college years, and here I'm not even graduated out of High School!"

"Do you resent your friend Beatrice for imposing this decision upon you?" Lao asked.

"A little bit," Nabiki conceded, "But...looking back on it, I guess she was trying to do me a favor, like the one she did herself with Alison. I mean...using Nano-technology to counteract the effects of my curse didn't cause me to become pregnant, it just made it possible for me to stay pregnant when I turned into Kaneda. So...I guess I may have to let her off the hook for this, even if I wish she had consulted with me before she did it."

"Ah...friends," Lao smiled, "They can be the benefit or bane of our existence, but they mean well, unlike our enemies who deliberately WANT to cause us mischief. So...what do you think about one of your sisters having the baby...or even Beatrice herself, who did make you the offer."

"Akane?" Nabiki shrugged, "I guess she might do it if I asked her, but she's got enough problems with her relationship to Ryoga, and I'd rather not complicate things by having her carry my baby. Beiko...I would be less than honest if I didn't admit the idea is tempting. I mean...despite what I just said, let the punishment fit the crime, know what I'm saying?"

"Of course," Lao nodded, "But I suppose we could take it for granted that her beloved would be irked if she agreed to carry another woman's baby. That does cut down the list of possible candidates, but if you were to consider one of my women, I know any number of them who would gladly volunteer and have no qualms about being a surrogate mother."

"But having a baby isn't like borrowing somebody's dress, Lao," Nabiki sniffed, "I'd be asking them to sacrifice a part of their body, and you really think they'd just give the kid up when I came to collect them? The same thing holds true if I asked Keiko or Kodachi to carry my baby...what's to keep them from feeling like they're the actual mother?"

"Point well taken," Lao nodded, "And for all that I may have done many a dirty deed in my career, I have never had much stomach for separating a mother from her child, even if conceived by another woman. I just wanted to make the offer in case you were interested in a neutral third party."

"I guess it all just comes down to me," Nabiki sighed, "Having a baby is a really female thing, something I expected I might do one of these days, and I guess now is as good as any time for it, but...but I can't really have this baby...not unless I cancel out my curse altogether..."

"Or find a way to temporarily neutralize it," Lao stroked her chin with a thoughtful expression, "Not an easy task to be sure...one I've never quite been able to master...but...I wonder...it might be possible to freeze your curse if we could somehow affect its temporary nature..."

"What are you saying?" Nabiki asked with a puzzled expression.

"Perhaps I am not saying anything," Lao seemed unusually thoughtful as she stared off into the distance, "I would rather not get your hopes up over a false matter...but it just occurred to me that, whereas I do not know how to stave off your curse, nor is a method known to Amazon Lore, there is someone else who might know of a method...the Kraken."

"The Kraken?" Nabiki blinked.

"He is the vast storehouse of lore and knowledge," Lao pointed out, "I'm sure somewhere in his vast memories he might have a reasonable suggestion. You would have to trust me on this, but the alternative is to ask your husband to sacrifice his own manhood for the next several months, and I will offer a dose of permanent Nyanniichuan if it comes to that. But...until we know for certain...I think it would be a very good idea to capture a sample of the Prince's Nanniichuan water."

"Huh?" Nabiki said, "Why?"

"Just an idea I had," Lao made a dismissive gesture, "It might turn out to be nothing."

"Spill it," Nabiki frowned, "What are you thinking?"

"Well..." Lao smiled, "We have a pair of powerful sorceresses currently residing as guests on my ship...perhaps one of them is strong enough to change the polarity of the water so that, instead of turning one into a man..."

"It could turn me permanently into a woman?" Nabiki blinked.

"I said that I didn't want to falsely raise your expectations," Lao replied, "But that is, conceivably, a way that might cure you of your curse altogether."

Nabiki stared straight ahead with a frankly dumbfounded expression. A permanent cure? If such a thing were possible, then it went against all her fears and might answer the secret hope and longing in her heart, to say goodbye to Kaneda altogether. But thinking that suddenly brought to mind the thought of Shampoo losing her husband. Was this really a sacrifice she wanted to make? Would losing the ability to turn into a man potentially affect her wife's legal status, both in Japan and China? After all, she had married Shampoo in a civil ceremony as Kaneda and had given Shampoo legal status as a Japanese citizen through that marriage...

"Think about it, just in case it proves to be an option," Lao remarked as she read the younger woman's expression, "But the time is rapidly approaching when the choice may be taken away, when we will have to do with what seems like your best chance of having a baby of your own with Ranma. In fact, I'd avoid turning into Kaneda altogether in the near future...the next time you change might cause a miscarriage."

"Yeeesh!" Nabiki reeled at that, not knowing that Shampoo had just overheard the last few exchanges between them.

(Not to see Kaneda again?) she thought of her virile and incredibly handsome husband, the man who had defeated her on the challenge log and won her heart that day, only to later discover the truth behind her marriage. How would she cope with having to say goodbye to her husband? She loved Nabiki and delighted in girl-girl sex with her, true enough, but it was Kaneda to whom she had given her vows, and a husband as well endowed as him was a treasure to be cherished!

She would do whatever Nabiki asked of her, true enough, but-dutiful wife that she was-as an Amazon she felt compelled to voice her own two yuan about the matter! She was about to do so when her cousin, unexpectedly, changed the subject and said, "By the way...that was a good fight you gave me just now. I'm proud of the way you've improved, and in such a short time, coordinating your attacks in perfectly harmony with Ranma."

"Ah...well..." Nabiki was herself flustered by the change of subject, "Actually...that was Ranma's idea, and I agree it was a good strategy, using the Senkens to harmonize..." she almost cursed herself as she realized that she had let that last part slip out, but Lao only smiled as if having already having known about the matter.

"The Kamasenken," she mused, "A good use for such a powerful form. I admit that I am especially impressed with that husband of yours, what a War Master he would make with a little more Amazon training!"

"You knew?" Nabiki asked in amazement.

"I suspected," Lao replied, "I knew that something like the Kamasenken would be needed to serve as a linking form to bring your two distinctive styles in closer synchronization. Never fear, I won't press you on that matter. I merely state the fact that you have a true prize in your husband, for which I envy you greatly. Don't ever let that one get away, you can learn a lot from studying with him, and I don't just mean about fighting."

"Well...yeah...I know Ranchan's one of a kind," Nabiki shrugged, "But the last thing I need to do is inflate the guy's ego..."

"Do I detect a note of sour grapes in that?" Lao mused, "The boy was suffering from low self esteem not too long ago, but now you think he's too full of himself? Make up your mind, which do you prefer, a husband who is confident of his prowess, or one who lives in constant uncertainty of his standing?"

"Neither of course," Nabiki replied, "It's just...ever since he became a Senken Master he's been lording it over me, making such a fuss about his knowing something about fighting that I don't..."

"As opposed to the other way around, which you assume to be the natural order?" Lao asked in amusement.

"I didn't say that," Nabiki said testily, "But do you have any idea what it's like being at the total mercy of somebody who knows how to turn your own nervous system against you, to make you cum on command like your body was an organ that he could play on at his leisure?"

"Gods of the White Mountain, you are making me SOOOO envious," Lao shook her head with a soft chuckle, "I would dearly love to find a man like that, or even a woman, for that matter, but I must abide with being the best lover on my ship until such a time as I find someone who will stay with me and become my true and proper Master."

"Your master?" Nabiki stammered.

"What, you don't think that I could enjoy being dominated by the right sort of fellow?" Lao eyed her knowingly, "You forget...behind the cool exterior of many a Dominatrix lays a woman who wants to be disciplined. I found that out about myself the hard way when I was taken as a slave in Shanghai, before I worked my way around to becoming the ship's Mistress. Only one time have I met a man who could satisfy me in that manner, but he was not interested in staying on board my ship, and I had to let him go. But if he asked me anything...I could not refuse him."

"Frank?" Nabiki blinked.

"Oh yes," Lao grinned, "He was Made to be my Master, if only he didn't refuse it."

"Whatever," Nabiki shrugged, thinking of the Big Man and how intimidating he could be in person.

"Tell me something," Lao continued, "Is your feeling of inferiority to Ranma's Senken mastery actually a fear of losing control while in the midst of lovemaking, a fear of being dominated by him, or is it because you subconsciously believe that you should always be the one on top? If the latter, then you are a great fool, if the former, then you do not truly know your husband."

"I'm not afraid of being dominated by Ranchan," Nabiki insisted, "It's just...disconcerting for him to have one up on me..."

"In other words to be a stronger fighter," Lao mused, "It must nettle you that he was the one who actually defeated me this time around, even if he did it with your help. You'd rather it have been your victory, or that your contribution could have been more impressive."

"Hey!" Nabiki protested.

"Be honest, that is what is bothering you, correct?" Lao replied, "The fact that you know that I could still have won if it had been a straight one-on-one fight, instead of having to divide my energies to deal with the both of you. Of course I think that Ice Frost maneuver Ranma used was a pretty good one, and I'm going to have to think hard on working up a counter..."

"Are you saying I'm that petty?" Nabiki reacted, "I'll have you know that I'm very proud of Ranma for what he accomplished...it's just..."

"It's just that now you have to work hard at catching up with him," Lao deduced, "And carrying a baby might interfere with your training, correct?"

"Well..." Nabiki faltered before grudgingly admitting, "Maybe..."

"Don't be upset," Lao replied, "You're a very impressive fighter, and I have every confidence that you will continue to improve, so the next time we face each other in a fight the outcome will be much less of a given. You've already improved at such a rate that I'm sure my great grandmother is impressed, even if she would be reluctant to tell you so outright. Besides...you have a set of great sparring partners in my cousins, you should learn to use every resource in your arsenal in order to train yourself to be the best that you can be. But...life isn't all about training, you know...there is also family to be considered."

Martha frowned as she heard these words, thinking to herself that family might have been more important in her life than she had understood at the time it would have most mattered.

"Ah...yeah..." Nabiki glanced away, "Family...it always comes first with me..."

"See that it does," Lao replied, "Just be sure never to make the mistake of thinking of your husband as a rival and not an ally. And do not mistake pride for ambition. I've done that on more than one occasion, and I've learned from the folly it breeds. Pride is good for self-assertion, but to be truly the best, you must first work upon being a better person."

"Fine speech coming from you, Coach," Nabiki sniffed, "But with your track record...I think I'll look somewhere else when it comes to personal training."

"As you will," Lao conceded, "I must say, for all the hardships we've undergone of late, I have very much enjoyed having you young people along for the ride. It has been a most educational experience, and very entertaining, to say nothing of it being...unexpectedly profitable..."

"Profitable?" Nabiki arched a suspicious eyebrow.

"Ah...yes..." Lao nodded with a faintly wistful expression, "Among other things, you've given me a chance to meet with some people who I find very profitable to be with...and...then again, there is a personal side to our relationship that has been rather productive..."

"What relationship?" Nabiki asked with even deeper suspicion.

"Don't you remember?" Lao asked coyly, "When the both of us were...snuggling together?"

"SNUGGLING?" Nabiki all but sputtered, "You were RAPING ME!"

"Well...kind of half Snuggle and half Rape anyway," Lao replied, "Not that I blame you for what you did in your Neko form, and while I started out the matter as a Tiger to deliberately trigger this state, when you did on a purely animal level..."

"That wasn't me!" Nabiki protested, "I wasn't trying to..."

"Rape me?" Lao gave her a saucy look, "When will you learn, Nabiki-chan, that you cannot rape the willing. The point is that...I know my body, I know every inch inside me, and I know when I am in the right gestation cycle, and I chose to have you mount me...so..."

"WHAT?" Nabiki gasped, "NO WAY!"

Lao seemed to take great interest in polishing her nails, then examining them critically before responding, "Where there is a will there is always a way...and my, did you have a lot of will! I rather imagine you've subconsciously wanted to do something like that to me since the moment I first met you."

"DID NOT!" Nabiki protested.

"As you will," Lao kept on smiling as she seemed to lightly dismiss the matter, "Of course it does hurt my feelings that you never even once considered having me be the surrogate mother of your baby...but never mind, that's academic. What matters is where do we go from here? I mean...seriously, I have no bad feelings towards you whatsoever...in fact, I very much admire you and think you would make a wonderful addition to my Harem, but as I promised you before, I will let you go when the time is right and allow you to return to the world outside, which you so cherish. The same goes for your family and friends, but...always know that you leave a little piece of yourself behind when you next come to visit."

"You're sick!" Nabiki insisted, "And why tell me a thing like that anyway? Do you think it'll make me feel more sympathetic to your twisted world outlook?"

"Not particularly," Lao replied, "But I confess that the idea of having your baby has appealed to me for quite a while now. Like it or not, we are a part of each other's world, and though we may never see eye to eye on certain matters, there is no reason for us to be enemies. I would much rather have you for a friend and potential ally...and it might even be that we will at some point have need of one another in the near future."

"Fat chance!" Nabiki huffed.

"Once again, as you will," Lao replied, "But I'm not surprised at your rejection. When you are young you see the world as having such possibilities, and you can afford to be idealistic. So long as the world does not blunt or taint that idealism, you will continue to be the person you wish to be...and I pray that you never lose yourself to cynicism, as I have. I can recall what it felt like when I left China, depressed and an outcast, but still full of such hope that the outside world might heal my wounds and restore my faith in humanity. Instead I came to see a side of human beings that few people should have to see up close...but with you I am reminded that not every person in the world is a shameless opportunist or hopelessly naïve and blind to the darker side of life."

"I'll never be like you," Nabiki vowed.

"Not even when you use people to suit your own needs?" Lao mused slyly.

"Not even then," Nabiki shook her head, "If I have to manipulate people to do what I want, it's because I have valid needs, not because I enjoy it."

"A fine distinction," Lao replied, "But I fear that you will discover in this world that there are very few examples of pure black and white, good and evil, right and wrong decisions. There is a right way of doing almost everything...and far too many wrong methods whose undertaking can lead to sometimes tragic circumstances."

"Maybe so," Nabiki replied, "But they won't be tragic because I intended them to be that way."

"Exactly," Lao countered, "Tragedy will happen from unintended consequences, much like following your Uncle into China has had both good and bad karma attend to it. Turning into a man proved not to be the worse curse imaginable, eh? But then again, you still regret shedding even a part of what it means to be a woman."

"Yeah," Nabiki glanced away, "Okay...maybe you've got a point there...but I still say I won't turn into you when I get to be your age."

"We will see about that," Lao replied, "Now...in the meantime, what could be keeping that husband of yours? He should have slung that brat over his knee for a good paddling by now."

"Maybe he's run into a snag," Nabiki replied, "Hey...tell me the truth...did you lose that fight legitimately or were you deliberately throwing it to get out of your obligation to defend Prince Bratty?"

"I lost legitimately," Lao replied, "But...if you want to know the truth, my heart wasn't into victory with quite the same verve as on our previous battles."

"That's what I thought," Nabiki replied, when all of a sudden the entire palace shook from the force of a massive explosion, "What the-?"

Lao turned an alarmed look towards the upper part of the stairway, then abruptly gripped Nabiki by the arm and threw her to the floor, spreading herself on top of the smaller woman while summoning up her powers and erecting a wall of water to surround them.

Shampoo also felt the rush of heat coming their way, but with nowhere to run or hide she had to brace herself as a wall of flame came roaring her way. All at once another body landed in the space between her and the flame, and then Martha Kent cried out, "STAY BACK!" and like that the force of the plasma wave rolled past their position, broken by the presence of the Demi-Kryptonian whose managed to shield Shampoo from being fried to a cinder.

Nabiki's first instinct upon finding the Pirate straddling atop her was to tense up and expect the worst from her nemesis, but instead she saw the distorted heat and light of a flame curtain passing over their watery envelope and realized just how close she had come to being par-broiled like a chicken. Lao had actually saved both their hides from some manner of fireball that had sprung up out of nowhere...

Fireball?

"Ranma!" she gasped, frantically attempting to crawl out from underneath the slaver.

"Stay still!" Lao ordered with a crisp tone of command in her voice that brooked no disobedience, and-much to Nabiki's own surprise-she would up obeying.

A moment later something else passed over them, a wave of mental force that swept over their minds and stripped bare their conscious and subconscious selves, probing deeply beneath the shell of personality to expose the hidden depths of their mutual beings.

[W-What...?] both minds asked as one as Lao and Nabiki stared into each others eyes and in that moment their mutual consciousness expanded...

...All at once Nabiki found herself in Lao's arms as the two of them began groping and writing together, mouths meshing against one another as their hands worked their will, breasts fondled and thighs rubbing against one another, bare feet running along the tracks of nerve and sinew, stimulating pleasurable centers that shot wonderful sensations jolting up both spines, tingling in the back of the mind as they meshed their bodies and grew ever closer together...

Nabiki and Lao emerged from the brief, overwhelming dual trance that had a very different Lao and Nabiki at play with one another. They had not moved, but their counterparts had been doing something so intensely erotic that it shook them to their mutual cores, so intense was the sense of duality where one set remained still, the other set was entirely too active...

That other Lao commanded the situation as she painted a trail of kisses down from neck and shoulder, slowly working her way towards those succulent breasts that tantalized and enflamed her passion, the maddening desire to possess the other woman while the other Nabiki yielded willingly and allowed herself to be taken like a prize of infinite value...

...The Nabiki laying beneath the Lao who was not groping and fondling her like a ripe piece of fruit stared at the Pirate atop her, aware of her counterpart's eagerness and enthusiasm. The sense of being willingly dominated by a Lao who all too eagerly claimed her possession was immensely disturbing to Nabiki's sense of integrity and well being, and yet her other self expressed no alarm, only desire and a reveling glory in the domination that she was experiencing at the hands of the older woman. They were the sort of things which she might have enjoyed were it not for her moral reservations, and basic antipathy for Lao's enslaving practices, if not merely Lao herself, whom she found far too smugly satisfied for the most part...

...The other Nabiki gasped as she felt her hips being raised by the powerful hands of the lady Pirate, her weight being shifted onto her shoulders while her bare legs and feet dangled in a "V" in the air above her. Lao lowered her mouth to enfold the vulnerable loins of the younger girl with her mouth, her tongue instantly going to work probing the softness of an unfolding vagina, the succulent petals yielding a sweet nectar that was intensely satisfying...

...Again the sense of duality between them, of the one set of women going at it with lewd abandon, of the other merely sharing eyes as they drank a deep star, mesmerized by the sense of a passion kindled on another plane of existence...

...The Nabiki currently crying out and groaning was not fighting her ravisher but willingly being ravished. She was a prized possession and loved her status intensely, reveling in the ardor of her Mistress as she yielded willingly the pearl of her womanly passion...

"AIREN!"

The voice of Shampoo's frantic call broke the spell that held the two of them immobile, and as one both Lao and Nabiki turned their eyes up to stare at the purple haired wonder, who was only just then coming to their side in the presence of a less disturbed looking Martha.

"Are you all right?" Martha asked, "What was that? It felt like something was in our minds for about half a minute..."

"Airen?" Shampoo knelt down beside Nabiki and Lao, "You no play around with cousin and tell Shampoo what you doing?"

"Ah...um..." Nabiki visibly sweated.

"Not to worry, Cousin," Lao said as she hastily rolled off of Nabiki, "It was my fault, really...I was attempting to shield us both from the blast and...my hands kind of...slipped..."

"Yes," Martha mused dryly, "I kind of noticed that."

"Ah..." Nabiki tried to get her thoughts back in order, but then she looked sharply up at Shampoo and said, "Ranma! That blast must have come from the top of the Palace..."

"Breeze!" Lao exclaimed, suddenly just as concerned for her son-turned-daughter.

"Aiyaa!" Shampoo exclaimed, suddenly sharing the concern of her wife for their mutual husband, "We must go to him and find..."

"No need," Martha said as she glanced up the stairs, "That husband of yours is quite a young man. If I didn't know any better, I'd almost think he has Kryptonian genes in his makeup."

"Eh?" Lao turned in time to see several figures come staggering out from the haze and smoke that choked out the top part of the stairway, and then one of those figures resolved itself into the distinctive form of Ranma, flanked at his side by Breeze and Toma, both of whom appeared to be choking on fumes between them.

"Ranchan!" Nabiki gasped.

"N-Nabiki?" Ranma coughed, trying to clear his eyes so he could see them better.

"Aiyaa, Ranma!" Shampoo vaulted forward to his side, while Nabiki was still struggling to get back on rubbery legs, not completely recovered from the vividness of her passionate vision.

"Hey, Shampoo," Ranma paused to clear his throat as the Amazon placed a hand to his smudged face in order to check him over, "I'm all right...I managed to deflect the blast, but it kicked up a heck of a lot of dust and soot..."

"...To say nothing of blowing a hole through my roof..." Toma wheezed, "...Damned hussies..."

"Mom?" Breeze gasped, clearing her eyes just enough to make out the details of which person could be properly addressed by that title.

"Breeze, you're all right?" Lao said as she gathered her daughter into her arms.

"What happened?" Nabiki asked, touching Ranma on the arm to be sure she had his attention.

"Don't really know," Ranma responded, "I had the kid here disarmed and ready to talk reasonable like when one of those two Sorcerer ladies cut loose with a spell that nearly blew out the whole room. I think it was a Fireball, or something like that...and then...the weirdest thing happened...like someone went into our minds and made us see stuff together."

"We had the same phenomenon," Lao replied, "Obviously you survived the blast, and you rescued my son, which puts me further in your debt, Saotome.'

"Hey, I blunted the blast with some help from Latisha," Ranma shrugged, "The rest was just instinct and improvising..."

"Ranma do good job improvi...in adapting so quickly," Shampoo congratulated.

"Yeah, good thinking, Ranchan," Nabiki approved, albeit with less intense enthusiasm, feeling disquieted as she was by her experiences with Lao and her sense of awe at the forces now wielded by her husband.

"And what of the Mages themselves?" Lao wondered, "Did they survive their own handiwork?"

"Yeah, I think they did," Ranma replied, "But the blast caved in part of the floor and sealed off the pit they were hoping to get at. Good thing, too, or that water might have flooded out and gotten at everybody."

"But you find gourd of Prince, yes?" Shampoo asked, indicating the object Ranma carried in his hand.

"Oh yeah," Ranma grinned as he held up his prize, "Wouldn't want to go anywhere without this, only chance to keep my manhood-hey!"

"Just one moment before you try and use this, young man," Lao remarked as she snatched the gourd our of Ranma's hand, then used her other hand to form a globe of water as she added, "Let's test whether or not you need it."

With that she splashed Ranma in the face, causing him to sputter and gasp out a startled, "What did you do that for?"

"Well, just as I suspected," Lao smiled, "Not the permanent curse after all, though I do detect a residual trace of the temporary kind hovering about your makeup."

"Huh?" Ranma looked down at himself then said, "Hey, I didn't change! I'm not cursed anymore!"

"I believe I just said that," Lao replied before glancing down, "However, I would suggest a change of wardrobe at your earliest convenience."

"Huh?" Ranma glanced down, and only then became aware of how badly his wardrobe had suffered from the blast, to which he quipped, "Oh."

"Aiyaa," Shampoo glanced down with an appreciative glance, then put her arms around Ranma and impulsively hugged him, "And you still man! Oh Airen, we still have husband!"

"Yeah, so I see," Nabiki allowed herself to smile with more affection, "Guess you won't be needing the water after all...but...what are we going to do with it?" Nabiki asked.

"That all depends on whether our two Mage friends are still alive or not," Lao replied, "And with those two...I am willing to bet on their survival."

"Good bet," Martha remarked, "I can see them digging themselves out of the rubble. Shall I give them a hand?"

"Better let them dig themselves out of their own handiwork," Lao remarked, "It will make a fine moral example about lighting fires in someone else's house."

"So," Toma declared with less than his usual haughty manner, "It would seem that your side has the upper hand for the moment, Lady Lao. What happens next?"

"Well, why don't we retire to my ship where we can decide things more...equitably," Lao smiled like the Tigress that she was, then made a point to sniff the air and wrinkle her nose in distaste as she added, "No offense to you, Prince, but it would seem that your servants will be busy digging out from the rubble for the next several days. Saotome-san...what say we both gather our respective forces and convene a meeting on the POJ at our earliest convenience?"

"Sounds fine with me," Ranma shrugged, "That okay with you, Nabiki?"

"Ah...yeah," Nabiki more reluctantly conceded, "Only...where do we go to find our wayward family members."

"Shampoo know way," Shampoo brightly volunteered, "Lead Airen to Airen and others."

"And I'll go spread the word to the rest of your motley crew," Martha smiled, "See you in a little bit," and with that pronouncement the Demi-Kryptonian became a blur, kicking up a wind in passage.

"Ah," Lao smiled as she turned to Nabiki, "That's why I do so enjoy having you around, Nabiki-chan. Life is never dull around either you or your husband."

"Look who's talking," Nabiki grumbled back, but was willing to abide by a truce on the immediate matter...

Less than an hour later the total combined group of Tendo Posse and Lao's Raiders were gathered on the beach waiting for launches to deliver them back aboard their ship. Lao nearly had a mutiny on her hands when she told her people that they would have to give back some of the prisoners they had taken (even if in slightly used condition) but her strict policy concerning men-plus an agreement with Prince Toma-required that at least a few of their citizens would be repatriated (even if more than a few of Toma's subjects expressed a curious reluctance to leave the company of their nominal captors).

As a concession to her loyal crew, however (and to stave off said potential mutiny, plus a possible lynching) she allowed those of her women who wanted to do so to have another day and a half of shore leave, instructing them to report for duty around noon the day after. With that potential mini-crisis headed off, she prepared to return to her fortress/castle/ship, but first a few residual matters needed resolving, not least of which was Toma's insistence on Breeze remaining on his island.

"Absolutely not," Lao insisted, "Your well may have been sealed off by that blast, Prince, but those waters still affect the water table of your whole island. If Breeze remains for longer than a month the risk will multiply that-  
-at some point-their magic will cancel out her Nyanniichuan spell and revert her to full male status..."

"Yeah," Breeze remarked, "And if that happens, you can kiss goodbye to us having children."

"But what can I do?" Toma asked, "I must have a Queen to rule beside me...that is the law."

"Actually, my Prince," Seratoru-who had one arm in a sling-raised his good hand for attention, "The law specifically states that you must provide an heir to succeed you when you reach your age of ascension...that usually gets taken to mean that you must have a bride, but if you were to father an heir, it would be just the same, even if the girl doesn't reside here with you."

"Hey, that's right!" Breeze brightened, "And since I'm too young to even think about having a baby right now, wouldn't it be better to put it off for a few years, and then see if you still want me then, Prince? We could be like pen-  
pals and fiancées!"

"But...don't you want to spend time with me?" Toma asked, "We were getting along so well before these harridans interrupted us..."

"Who are you calling a harridan?" a disheveled Lina griped, but Nagha just smiled tiredly and refrained from making comment.

"Hey, I like you, don't get me wrong, Prince," Breeze replied, "I think you're a pretty nice guy, and maybe in a few years we'll know if we're right for each other, but...like Momma said, it's too risky for me to be here...or any girl who doesn't want to get turned into a man. That doesn't mean we can't still see each other from time to time whenever we pass by your island, and we could write...isn't that right, Momma?"

"True enough," Lao acknowledged, "And my servants could see to it that messages between you would be conveyed back and forth regularly. And...then again...there is always the Internet. If you had a wireless service, you could chat together at long distance."

"But it's not the same as having someone here who can make my days pass by and be less boring," Toma sounded almost plaintive.

"Well, if you are wanting for companionship," Lao mused, scanning the ranks of Toma's guards, "I believe that there is someone here who might volunteer for the task, and who has a far better right to play your parent than I ever would. Would the warrior who was formerly known as Sujenko please step forward?"

There was a moment of hesitation before one guard-more Bishonen looking than the others-stepped forward and said, "I am...I was Sujenko...but now I am known as Rongar."

"There you have it, Prince," Lao smiled, "That is your real mother."

"My...what?" Toma turned to the guard in question, "You?"

"Me," the warrior bowed his head and sighed, "Your father wanted to banish me entirely from court, but I begged him not to separate me from you. I only wanted to see you grow into a man, even if I could never embrace you. Please forgive me for not coming forward sooner, my so-I mean...my Prince."

"Father...?" Toma gasped, "He never told me you were so close to hand! My...mother?"

"In a manner of speaking," Lao answered for him, "Now, I'm sure you two will want to have lots of time to get better reacquainted...that is, if there are no objections from the rest of your loyal servants?"

"Who, us?" the bird man exchanged looks with his fellow beast-men, all three of whom looked as though they had seen better days than this one.

"Whoohoo?" Wonton remarked, not understanding what the fuss was all about, but glad that people were shaking hands and becoming friends all over.

"What a muzzle on that guy," Nila noted softly to Xiong-Fu, "Think he's paper trained?"

"I'm not sure if he's housebroken," Xiong-Fu sniffed, "He probably broke the house that tried it."

"Who cares?" Jezebel smirked, "There's a lot of man in that hot-dog...I wonder if he's a Knockwurst or a footlong?"

"Uh...whatever," mused a somewhat disquieted Akane.

"A pity to be leaving so soon," Beatrice remarked on the sly, "I myself would have relished the opportunity to obtain a sample of this water for later study...it might have turned up some interesting uses."

"And have you turn into a guy for real?" Alice sniffed, "Not a chance, Beiko! You may be a pain in the rear some times, but I like you just the way you are."

"My love," Beatrice smiled benevolently, "You are such a romantic."

"Maybe so," Keiko mused, "But I'm with the Powerhouse. Some things just should not be messed with, especially guy-changing un-holy water!"

"Amen to that, Darling," Kodachi agreed with a sly smirk at her pigtailed companion.

"Now then," Lao said as she looked directly at the Prince himself, "I am willing to go so far as to allow you to see my daughter on a semi-regular basis, and I'll even entertain the notion that the two of you are engaged...at least provisionally...but I will insist on one requirement before I give such a union my official sanction."

"Which is?" Toma wondered.

"When you are a man past eighteen and my Breeze is sixteen, you will face her in battle to decide the issue," Lao replied, "In six years you must defeat Breeze honorably, and only then will I judge you to be married. It is the Amazon way of determining that my daughter has a strong husband."

Toma smiled, "On that I will agree...I will naturally be victorious and proclaim her as my bride on the day in question."

"Oh really?" Breeze smiled back, "Care to make a wager on that?"

"As for the rest of us," Lao smiled, "It is time to be going back on board our ship. Lotus, Blossom, secure for departure. You shall each lead one of our launches and be responsible for the safe delivery of our people...assuming no one here wishes to voluntarily remain on this island?"

"Aye, Ma'am," Blossom saluted, "Will you take the first launch out?"

"Yes," Lao agreed, "I've had enough of stretching my landlegs for one day, and I still have yet to fulfill my promise of taking Nabiki and her party to Sydney for the rest of their honeymoon..."

"Mistress!" one of the blue skinned Undines spoke up, "We are receiving word that we have...other guests already on board the POJ."

"Say what?" Lao spun around, "Other...guests?"

"Our apologies, Captain," another Undine replied, "The Kraken was not around to prevent a boarding...and besides...these guests are ones who could not be refused if we had wanted to prevent it. HE is among those who are presently awaiting you on board our vessel."

"He?" Lao suddenly became very pale, and fear was written plain in her expression, "Oh no...not him! Now?"

"What's wrong?" Martha asked, "You look like you've seen a ghost."

"Worse than that," Lao swallowed, "Come along, people...we had better not keep our...guests waiting for too long...not if the other ones are who I think they are..."

"What's the matter?" Ranma asked, "You look really scared, lady."

"Scared?" Lao's voice quavered as they boarded the launch and prepared to push off from shore (Nabiki being careful to avoid setting foot in the ocean water, with Ranma giving her some timely assistance), "Don't be ridiculous, why should I be scared? I am Lao Kung, I laugh at danger, I sneer at death, I scoff at misfortune..."

"You're petrified, aren't you?" Nabiki asked, glancing nervously at the water while feeling her abdomen.

"Yes," Lao conceded, "And you would be too if you knew our guests like I do."

"Who in the heck could that be?" Ukyo asked.

"What man would put the fear of the Gods in you, Cousin?" Perfume asked.

"In truth I fear not man, beast nor gods," Lao replied, "But he is neither...he is my HUSBAND!"

"Husband?" Martha blinked.

"Oh...him," Nabiki suddenly understood Lao's behavior implicitly, and once they were on board again-sure enough-she saw the towering form of a seven-and-a-  
half foot, craggy-faced giant awaiting them on the main deck, arms folded over his chest, dressed incongruously in what looked like a well tailored business suit that oddly fit his massive proportions.

"Hello, Kitty," he growled in faint disapproval as Lao and the others climbed up the ropes and stepped onto the deck.

"Husband," Lao surprised everyone by suddenly going down on one knee and bowing her head before the giant, "It has been quite a while since you last graced us with your..."

"Save it," Doctor Franklin Nathaniel Steinberg gruffly cut her off in mid-  
grovel, "I've had quite a lengthy report filed about you, and what's this business about you going back against my word and involving yourself with the Saotome and Tendo clans? Didn't I tell you expressly to leave hands off the poontang?"

"Poontang?" Nila arched an eyebrow, "I like that..."

"Husband," Lao kept her head downcast, "You have every right to be angry with me..."

"Damned straight," he rudely snorted, turning to Ranma and Nabiki, "Bet you kids have been having quite a wild time of it. Never expected anything like this on your honeymoon, eh?"

"Uh...yeah...you could say that," Ranma conceded.

"We've...had some...interesting exchanges," Nabiki replied without elaboration.

"Who is this?" Martha wondered, "He looks...oddly familiar..."

"Are you kidding, Sis?" Alison replied, "Ain't you never been to the movies?"

"Doctor Steinberg is a well renowned philanthropist and industrialist and is known internationally by both his professional and unofficial name."

"Oh yeah," Nila averred softly, "You could say that again...he and my old man are in pretty much the same line of business."

"Parts and software exchange," Xiong-Fu elaborated, "Lord Frank here is the best in his profession.

"Frank? You mean...?" Martha's eyes got very wide as she started to put all of the clues together.

"Sir," Ryoga spoke up, "It's true that Captain Lao is responsible for picking up Ranma and the others at sea, but we've been told that it wasn't really her who sank their ship..."

"Maybe not, kid," Frank replied, "But that ship that fired on you was really aimed at Lao...and what have you got to say for yourself over that one, Kitty?"

"Um...yes, Airen," Lao replied meekly, "I did try to make up for rescuing them at sea...but...I suppose I might have...overextended my invitation for them to stay with us a bit beyond what was seemly..."

"Hah," Nabiki scoffed, "You're got that right."

"Never mind the details," Frank said dismissively, "There's someone else here who wants to have a few words with you over kidnapping his daughter."

"Eh?" Lao risked glancing up and saw a pair of forms hovering in the air near to the ship, not touching foot on deck but remaining sufficiently above the wooden planks that they drew everyone's immediate notice.

"Omigawd," Nila murmured, "It's...him!"

"I don't believe this," Keiko murmured in disbelief.

"That makes two of us," Kodachi murmured, appropriately awed by the costumed pair before them.

"Mom?" Alison gasped, "Dad?"

"Alison," the man wearing a bright blue, red and yellow uniform replied, his manner stern though his expression was gentle, "Martha."

"Father?" Martha gasped, "What are you doing here...with lady Diana?"

"Couldn't you just once call me mother?" the equally colorful woman sighed, "Alison...I want you to know that your father and I aren't all that upset that you made off with my invisible airplane without our permission..."

"Eep," Alison winced slightly.

"...But we wish you had made contact with us sooner," her father continued, "It's been forty eight hours since you left us and not so much as a phone call."

"Hey, I'm sorry, Dad!" Alison protested, "It's just...well...like...I've been really kind of busy..."

"We both have," Beatrice smoothly took Alison by the arm and said, "By the way...would you care to meet your granddaughter? We left her sleeping in the arms of an attendant down below decks."

"Our...?" Diana's eyes got very rounded.

"Granddaughter?" replied her impressive looking husband, who seemed equally dumbfounded.

"I'll have her brought up from below decks at once," Lao assured them, "They have been treated well as guests on board my ship and have been afforded every courtesy...Airen."

This time it was Clark's turn to wince, to which Frank just arched an eyebrow, which was nothing compared to the reaction of both Alison and Martha.

"AIREN?" both daughters of the House of El replied together.

"It's...kind of a long story," Clark replied somewhat uneasily, "You see...a couple of years ago, back when your mother and I were enjoying our fifteenth honeymoon together, we ran into the POJ in the middle of a storm, and...well..."

Martha turned to Lao and said, "You...and my Father?"

"Actually," Lao replied, "It was a bit of the other way around. You see...you're not the first Kryptonian whom I've entertained as a guest on the POJ, and Lady Diana...well...turns out she's quite a talented submissive and..."

"ARGH!" Alison reacted, "Too much information! EEP!"

"We...came to an understanding," Clark resumed, "Which is why we've allowed Madam Lao to operate with a free hand on these waters, against our strong moral reservations..."

"Ah...yes..." Diana seemed somewhat sheepish as she added, "After we learned the full story regarding her and the mysterious Kraken who serves her we...decided that the lesser of two evils involved letting her remain at large, not that either of us approve of her form of doing business."

"But you still put up with her poaching young girls and turning them into sex slaves?" Nabiki was incredulous at this revelation.

"We never said that we approved," Clark explained, "But since the alternative is to take over this ship and assume the responsibilities of being its new Master..."

"And since we both have a certain vulnerability to magic," Diana added, "It just...seems like the more expedient thing to do. After all, neither one us can think of a single human being upon whom we would inflict such responsibility of protecting a spirit being who could well destroy the human race if he were to get loose."

"Speaking of which," Frank spoke up again, "Where is the tentacled bugger at the moment? I don't sent him under the boat like his usual haunts."

"Ah...a good question, Airen," Lao turned to one of her Undines.

"Oh," that blue skinned lady responded, "The Kraken said that he would be busy for the next few hours, my lady. When that explosion went off it caused some sort of reaction that may have partially awakened the Great Turtle, but before she could fully achieve consciousness the Kraken began singing to him and lulling the Turtle back to sleep."

"She?" Ranma asked, picking up on the peculiar gender reference.

"Wait a minute," Nabiki said, "You mean...the Turtle is female?"

"That is correct," the Undine replied in her quavering, watery voice.

"And the Kraken is male?" Perfume seemed disquieted at the implications.

"Yes," the Undine replied, "In point of fact, he was responding to the call of loneliness that the Turtle manifested in her sleep, and part of the way in which he has soothed her back into a dormant state has been to attend to the Turtle's needs by stimulating her ovaries and..."

"I agree with the kid," Frank cut in, "Too much information."

"So that was what happened back there," Martha remarked, "The Turtle started to come to life..."

"...And the first thing he did was mentally scan us," Nila reasoned.

"Perhaps that is why the island has no women," Beatrice mused, "Unconsciously the Turtle has been seeking a mate...and no doubt she is the type who seeks to reproduce through finding a male who might fertilize her eggs."

"But...do you think that Kraken guy has what it takes to do that?" Alison wondered.

"Who knows?" Akane shrugged, "But I sure don't feel like hanging around to find out!"

"By the way," Diana spoke up again, "Not to change the subject, but...wasn't there another member of your party who was supposed to be with you?"

"Two somebodies," Martha replied, glancing down through the deck and smiling, "But not to worry, though...they're much too busy with their own private affairs to pay the rest of us much notice."

"Huh?" Clark followed his daughter's gaze, then blinked, "Great Suns! Is that...Joan...with Lila?"

"The very same, Father," Martha replied, "But don't worry, they're here voluntarily...well, at least Lila is. Joan's in rehab training. It's a private arrangement that I've worked out with the Captain."

"You don't say?" Frank said archly, eyeing Lao with obvious suspicion, "Your idea, Pussycat?"

"Actually...I did make a suggestion," Lao conceded, "But I didn't mind-wipe them to make them agree with my proposal."

"Exactly," Martha stepped forward, "And I have another arrangement between myself and Captain Lao, one that obligates me to remain here for...at least a few more weeks."

"What?" her father gasped.

"Are you sure about this?" her stepmother blanched.

"Yes," Martha said decisively, "Captain Lao has called to my attention the fact that some of my East Asian holdings are not being properly managed to my satisfaction. She is going to show me where the worst offenses lay and I am going to personally inspect these branch offices of my company portfolio to see that they conform to my highest legal and ethical standards. In point of fact, I owe it to Madam Lao for opening my eyes to certain...things which I have been ignoring...and I confess that I have learned a great deal about myself these last few days, which is why I ask that you forgive the Captain for any and all transgressions...Doctor Steinberg?"

"Call me Frank," he said, glancing down at Lao, "You have been busy."

"Are you honestly asking us to stand back and ignore what Lao may have done to you and Joan?" her father asked.

"What she has done for Joan is beyond any price that I would gladly have paid, Father," Martha replied firmly, "She has given me back my daughter, and after I foolishly abandoned my own child to the government and the machinations of a bastard named General Gordon..."

"Gordon?" Clank's handsome face scowled, "I warned him against involving himself with members of our family...has he been up to his old tricks?"

"You mean worse than turning Joan into an addict and forcing her to do his dirty work?" Martha replied, "You'll pardon me, Father...I know you have a strong aversion to killing, but do not expect me to show him any consideration the next time I see that worthless martinet."

"You won't have to," Clark replied, "I've had the goods on him for years, but when I tell what I know to the press, he won't ever see the light of day again, which is a mercy since even I'm half tempted to turn him into a grease spot."

"We all know what Gordon is like, and how he's abused the powers of his office," Diana replied, "You have our promise, Martha...we will see that justice is rendered."

"Thank you...Mother," Martha half-smiled as she studied the other woman's reaction.

"You...she called me mother!" Diana turned an incredulous look towards her husband.

"I think I...may owe you an apology, Diana," Martha winced, "But...let's save it for another time, all right?"

"Agreed," Clark turned to Alison and Beatrice, who only just then were receiving a baby into their arms, to which the hovering man's eyebrows climbed closer to his hairline, "Is...is that...?"

"Eileen, Dad," Alison held her daughter up with a proud expression, "Doesn't she look just like me?"

"Eileen?" Diana lowered herself down to where she was almost touching her feet on the deck and examined the baby, then looked at Beatrice and said, "She has your eyes."

"Doesn't she now?" Beatrice beamed happily, "Genetics are a wonderful thing, don't you agree...Mother-in-law?"

"Oh yeah," Frank noted gruffly, "You definitely have been busy."

"I try, Husband," Lao could not avoid smirking.

"Guess that's our cue to go find our own rugrats, Shamchan," Ukyo noted to her purple haired companion, only to brighten up considerably as more attendants appeared form below deck bearing their two daughters.

"Guess that's it then," Frank noted gruffly, "What about it, Saotome? Ready to blow this dump and leave?"

"Leave?" Ranma asked, "Leave where?"

"And how?" Nabiki seconded.

"Same way we got here," Frank nodded towards the side, "In a submarine...the most powerful in the world. It'll ferry us back to the Main Islands in a matter of hours, or anywhere else you feel like going."

"A submarine?" Kodachi asked with an incredulous expression.

"American or Japanese?" Keiko asked.

"Neither," Frank replied, "It flies no flag, it bears the color of no nation. You'll understand when you come on board and I introduce you to the owner. Hell, he's been in this business a heck of a lot longer even than I have."

"You don't say?" Perfume remarked, surprised on hearing this from a man who was as old (if not older) than the vast majority of her tribal elders.

"Ah..." Nabiki hesitated a moment then said, "I'd...like to come along, really...but...there's one thing that we haven't quite settled just yet..."

"Ah," Lao mused from where she remained kneeling, "I was going to bring that up myself, if it is permissible with you, Husband."

"Yeah?" Frank asked, "What's this all about?"

"Ah...well..." Ranma ran his fingers against the back of his head and said sheepishly, "That's right...we ain't figured out yet how to help Nabiki keep her baby."

"Baby?" Diana asked.

"You mean another one?" Clark marveled.

"Oh yes," Lao straightened up and glanced sidelong at Nabiki (who noted in turn how even the statuesque Lao seemed dwarfed before the man she named her husband), "I was just about to make a suggestion about that...and once the Kraken is done with his...business...then I propose we retire down below to the appropriate chamber, whereupon I believe I can provide the solution that you are seeking, Nabiki...if you will trust me."

"That's asking a lot for you," Nabiki sniffed, but this time she lowered her eyes and said, "What the hell? I'm open to suggestions..."

"Watch your footing," Frank warned as he led the way down the stairs leading into the conning towel that was parked up alongside the POJ, "It's a bit less cramped on this boat than it would be with a regular boomer, but even the inertial compensators won't totally cancel out the rolling of the deck while we're this close to the other ship."

"Impressive," Beatrice mused as she and the others followed the big man into the artificially illuminated vessel, which proved to have a surprising amount of headroom (even if Frank still had to duck low when going through hatches), "And you say this submarine belongs to no flag and no nation?"

"Just the way his Nibs likes it," Frank replied as he paused to hook a thumb at an engraved wall placard, "When it comes down to it, he's been at this longer than anyone born a human being on land, and he knows how to build 'em. In point of fact this sub's the seventh generation in its class and the most modern to date, years ahead of what anybody else topside even has on the blueprints."

"Really?" Nabiki paused as she studied the wall in question, then she blanched as she read the words, "NAUTILUS VII," which she read aloud in tones of disbelief.

"Nautilus Seven?" Alison repeated.

"Not too original for a title," Kodachi mused, "The first Nautilus was built prior to the First World War, and its later predecessor was an atomic powered sub that was the first to successfully navigate the polar ice caps..."

"They weren't the first," Frank corrected, "That one was built back during the American Civil War. A guy named Verne even wrote a book about it..."

"That was real?" Akane sounded incredulous.

"Who could build something like this?" Ryoga asked as the giant led the way through broad interior decks lined with ultra-modern equipment, uniformed crewmembers snapping to attention at their passing.

"Who else but the original designer?" Frank replied before coming to a halt in what obviously passed for the command deck, addressing himself to a woman sitting in a chair near to the center, "Captain, here are those passengers I mentioned."

The woman was blonde and very handsome, if not quite thirty, with bright, intelligent eyes that took them in as she swiveled around in her command chair, then she crisply stood to attention and bowed in proper Japanese fashion, addressing herself with an authoritative presence at Ranma and Nabiki.

"Konichiwa," she said in perfect Japanese, "I am Captain Janice Land, commander of the Nautilus. And this is my first officer, Lieutenant Commander Pierre Sauvignon. I trust your belongings have been brought on board to be stowed away, because will be leaving almost immediately. I trust Doctor Steinberg has briefed you on the pertinent details, and his Excellency will be awaiting you in his stateroom."

"His...Excellency?" Ranma repeated, "Who's that?"

"The real owner of this vessel, of course," said a handsome man with a distinctive French accent, the aforementioned Second Officer, who waved a hand and said, "This way. Temporary accommodations have already been prepared for you. Our apologies if things might seem a bit rushed, but we would like to be on our way before the Kraken makes an issue of our presence."

"Small chance of that," Frank replied, "Big boy's been busy with a lady."

"Really?" the captain arched a golden eyebrow, "I hope she was worth it."

"This way please," said Lieutenant Commander Sauvignon with an elegant gesture, and once again Frank took the lead in showing them to a stairwell that took them down a deck and brought them into a much larger and grander chamber.

Of course the thing which immediately chilled Nabiki to the marrow was the sound of an organ playing a hauntingly familiar tune...one she could almost place with its chilling association.

"I don't believe it," Kodachi murmured, "I know this music..."

"Yeah," Frank snorted, "Who doesn't?"

The stateroom proved to be lavish enough for a small-but-elegant sized party, and at the far end a man was playing at the organ, his hands gracefully pressing the keys with the ease of long practice, his back to the Tendo Posse as he seemed momentarily absorbed in the strains of his melody.

But then he eased his instrument to a restful state and slowly turned around...to reveal a man of indeterminate age, clean shaven, almost six feet tall with mahogany colored hair and eyes as black as night, almost handsome but for a kind of craggy depth that suggested much weathering.

"Forgive my indulgence," he replied, "I'm told I have something of a flair for the dramatic."

"Huh, got that right," Frank replied, indicating the party with a nod, "There are the kids I told you about, Magnus. That one's named Saotome Ranma, and beside him is his senior wife, formerly known as Tendo Nabiki."

"Charmed," the man stood up and bowed to them, again in Japanese fashion.

"Magnus?" Nabiki asked with a raised eyebrow.

"A name like any other," the man replied, "And I have had so many names in my time, it is as good as any other."

"Interesting," Beatrice mused, "I believe I recognize you by at least one of those names...you're the Chairman and President of Richardson Industries, one Benjamin Richardson by name."

"So, you've heard of me," he smiled, "Well, it is true that I have had some dealing with Daitokuji industries in my time, but I am happy to see that you are a vast improvement over your father and grandfather."

"I do try," Beatrice nodded.

"Um," Akane felt disquieted as she murmured, "One of those names of yours...wouldn't happen to be...Nemo, would it?"

"Who?" Ryoga asked.

"Really, Ryoga-kun," Keiko smirked, "You have to try and read some books more often."

"And what of it?" Magnus asked, "What is in a name? A rose by any other name..."

"Would smell just as sweet," Kodachi concluded for him, "Curiously enough, the name Nemo is Latin for 'No one.' How appropriately mysterious. You well live up to your reputation."

"I shall take that as a compliment," Magnus nodded, "Now, I imagine you are all quite famished. I took the liberty of asking the chef to prepare a Japanese style meal, and I adjusted the furnishings accordingly. You and your children will be given ever accommodation as we ferry you on your journey homeward."

"Ah...actually, Sir," Nabiki spoke up, "We weren't planning to head home right away..."

"Oh?" it was the turn of the dark-eyed man to raise an eyebrow.

"If it's all the same to you, Sir," Ranma replied to that unspoken question, "Doctor Steinberg here said you could take us to Sydney, where we have hotel reservations."

"Did he now?" Magnus eyed the giant, "Well then, if that is what you wish, then consider it our pleasure."

"Thank you, but...excuse me for asking this," Nabiki said, "But...why are you helping us out? I mean...someone like you, who must have a thousand other things more important to do with your day..."

"A fair question," he replied, "Let us just say...some interesting things about you people has come to my attention, and I am nothing if not inquisitive. Besides, you people have, of late, been traveling in some very interesting circles. I thought it best if I take this opportunity to meet with you first hand in order to determine what it is that is so exceptional about you young people that you should attract so much unusual attention."

"Hey, it ain't exactly like it's our fault or nothing," Alison protested.

"He knows that, darling," Beatrice smiled as she busied herself taking turns holding their baby.

"Well...I can't really account for that myself, Sir," Nabiki said to the dark eyed man, "It just seems that weird stuff always happens when we're around...must be a jest of the fates or something..."

"Most probably you are correct in this," Magnus replied, "But then again, a young lady such as you, cursed to become a man at odd intervals, must certainly realize that the fates have plotted for you a great purpose. By the way, my congratulations for the safe delivery of your offspring."

"Ah...well..." Nabiki patted her stomach and blushed a profuse crimson color, "Thanks...but...how did you know...?"

"I read auras," Magnus replied, "It is but one of...several peculiar talents which I possess. A woman who is with child casts a certain radiance that I may perceive even at this early phase, but...are you not concerned that your...condition...might be adversely affected by your curse?"

"Not to worry there," Frank replied, "Lao did something to help her out. For once the Pussycat was as good as her word about something."

"Indeed?" Magnus replied, "How was this effected?"

"She locked out her curse for the duration," Frank replied, "Don't ask me how, but somehow she was able to fool the curse into ignoring the trigger for cold water. It's a temporary deal, should last long enough for the baby to get delivered, but after that it should revert back to normal. I think it has something to do with the way Lao can work her own curse on command and even remain human in the middle of a rainstorm."

"Impressive," Magnus replied when he paused to study the rest of their group, then he murmured, "And what is this? I believe more than one of you may be expecting. The young lady with the lavender hair...I believe your name is Xian Pu?"

"Yes," Shampoo brightened upon hearing her name be pronounced correctly for a change, only to blink her eyes in delayed reaction, "Aiyaa...?"

"She's pregnant too?" this time it was Frank's turn to look surprised.

"What?" Ranma turned to Shampoo and gasped, "But...by who?"

"One of us obviously," Nabiki replied in the same tones one might used when stunned into incredulously bland surprise, "You've got to be kidding!"

"I am rarely mistaken about such things," Magnus assured her, "Nor is your companion the only one...Miss?"

"Huh?" Akane blinked, putting hands to her abdomen, "You mean...ME?"

"Way to go, Ryoga-kun," Keiko complimented, only to blink as she saw the boy's eyes roll up in his head before he slowly toppled over.

"Oh my," Kodachi mused with faint hesitation, "Anyone else?"

"I am...not too certain," the dark eyed man frowned slightly, "But...there is a possibility that you are yourself...Miss Kuno, it is?"

"WHAT?" both Keiko and Kodachi cried together.

"Hey," Alison declared, "What gives? How can half of us get pregnant at the exact same time?"

"It does defy the law of averages, to say the very least," Beatrice noted.

"Three guesses on that one," Perfume said, "And the first two don't count!"

"You mean...?" Ukyo blinked.

"LAO!" Nabiki balled her hands, "I don't know how, I don't know why, but somehow that lunatic Pirate lady has done it to us AGAIN!"

"Shampoo have another baby?" Shampoo blinked, turning with a sudden smile and saying, "Maybe this time is Ranma's?"

"Hah?" Ranma exclaimed shortly before joining his brother on the floor and in dreamland...

"So...they're finally away," Martha remarked as she stepped out from behind the dresser, once more dressed in next to nothing while wearing chains of Orichalcum.

"So they are," Lao remarked, as she drank in the sight of her gorgeous Demi-  
Kryptonian sex-slave, "Your parents have taken away their invisible plane, and the Tendo Posse are by now at sea and headed to some new and exciting adventure."

"You must be awfully proud of yourself," Martha smirked as she put hands to her hips and flaunted herself in front of her nominal hostess, "You've had your way in nearly everything that matters."

"Nearly everything," Lao sipped on the wine cup in her hand, "There were a few disappointments, but what is life without something worth striving towards? I am certain that one of these days Nabiki and I shall cross paths together, when we will have a true and proper accounting."

"Well, she can wait her turn," Martha mused as she sidled up alongside the Slaver, mincing her steps to accommodate her shackles, "So...what's next on your agenda? Will you have your way with me, force me to submit to your will, try and convince me to be your slave forever?"

"I'd like nothing better," Lao replied as she smiled back, "But it would be a violation of our agreement, and...sadly...you must sooner or later return to the world outside...but for now...let us enjoy the time we spend together...unless, that is, you have regrets and wish to reconsider your position?"

"No thanks," Martha replied, "I may have my doubts about you and your ways, but I'll honor my side of our bargain. And besides...you've done such a wonderful job of helping Joan to overcome her problem..."

"Right this way," said a leather-clad Lila as she appeared from down the hallway, drawing a heavily chained Joan along on a leash while flashing a riding crop to assert her dominant positions, "You've had enough rest and recreation for now, my Pet, now...back you go to the playroom for a bit more positive-  
negative reinforcement training."

"Help," Joan whimpered softly as she dutifully allowed herself to be led down the way to the adjoining chamber.

"Hey, wait up for us!" Xiong-Fu urged as she drew an equally bound and helpless Nila behind her, who was followed in a train by a gagged and naked pair of sorceresses, only one of whom was struggling in protest.

"Ah," Lao mused, "It's so nice to see the children playing together. Indeed, your daughter is making excellent progress...though I think the bulk of the credit should go to her beloved."

"They do make a nice couple," Martha mused, "I wonder why it took me so long to see that?"

"Sometimes we never see the obvious until it is in our face and demanding our attention," Lao replied, "It helps to get a different perspective...of course I would be lying if I pretended that everything which happens on board the POJ is exactly according to my intentions."

"Oh?" Martha mused, "You're saying it's not?"

"This ship is ancient, my Dear," Lao replied, "Sometimes I suspect it of having a mind all of its own. Magical objects tend to be like that, you know...the longer they last, the more cunning and devious they become...and nothing is so perfect in this world as a good intention that bears unexpected consequences. But...ah well...that is enough philosophizing for now. With Kraken satisfied and well rested, and this ship underway at last, things are finally returning to a state of semi-normalcy around here, just the same dull old routine every day..."

"You mean sex, sex, sex and more sex?" Martha replied as she snuggled into the arm of her beloved tormentor.

"Exactly, my Pet," Lao replied, as she slipped her arm around the Demi-  
Kryptonian and held her tightly, "It's not easy being the Mistress of my own Ship, dealing pleasure and pain in equal measure, but someone has to do it. Speaking of which, what say we join the children in the play room for a little mother-daughter interaction?"

"But isn't that a little bit too much like incest?" Martha wondered.

"There is an old Chinese proverb that applies here," Lao replied, "Incest is always best, just so long as you keep it in the family...relatively speaking..."

To be Continued...

(In Chapter Forty-Two, Part 107)

Comments/Criticisms/Caesarian Delivery Service: shadowmane

And so concludes this Honeymoon Adventure, but this is far from the end of the adventures of the Tendo Posse itself! While Ranma and Nabiki enjoy the bliss of a fruitful marriage with their close circle of intimate loved ones, meanwhile back in Japan a certain remaining Tendo daughter is faced with a dilemma of an entirely different nature. Can Kasumi cope with the discovery that she may not have entirely escaped the curse of Dimitri altogether, and if so, then who will she turn to for counseling, advice and special kitchen tips on how to get blood out of a turnip? Find out as the regular series returns in: "The Vampire Strikes Back!" or "Blood is Thicker than Tofu!" Be there!

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If you wish to check out my other works, Please check out my Fanfiction webpage at: . All related chapters of this series can be found there along with my other works.  
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